Light of the Fireflies Part 2: Love
by 321Haruko123
Summary: AU fic. Sequel to Survival. Seita, Setsuko and Yuki have survived the war and are trying to lead as normal lives as possible. Setsuko can now go to school and make friends like any normal child. Seita no longer has to worry of living in fear, but he does struggle with admitting to himself that his feelings for Yuki are slowly changing... DON'T READ UNLESS you've read SURVIVAL! R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Well, guys, I'm back. I hoped you liked my previous story, and I hope you'll like this one too. Just letting you know, this story will have stuff that the first one was lacking in, like humour and romance. But on the downside, since this takes place after the war... It'll be lacking in war and violence. This one is also noticeably more lighthearted than the first one, but it does have its moments once in a while. It also has very slow pacing. This fanfic is the second of a trilogy and personally, I think this one is my least favourite, but it could be a lot worse... And as a second reminder, DO NOT READ THIS FANFIC UNLESS YOU HAVE READ ITS PREQUEL! **

**Thank you and happy reading! ~ 321Haruko123**

**CHAPTER 1: SEITA**

_**January 1946,**_

I walked down the path that was surrounded by trees on both sides. The grass was a dull brown and the trees were bare. A little bit of snow was lightly falling from the sky - a rare sight in this southern area of Japan. I admired the snow for as long as I could, because it never stayed on the ground for long. It would usually melt once it came to the earth.

Seeing the snowflakes reminded me of my friend Yuki, whose name meant snow. In fact, Setsuko, my sister's name, could also mean "snow child." I wondered what they both were doing at home, for I had come here by myself. As I walked along the path, I took off my glove and held my hand out to let the snowflakes fall onto it. In an instant, they melted into small droplets.

Finally I got to my destination. I stood at the top of the hill overlooking the city of Kobe. The hill looked barren with the brown grass and bare trees, but I knew that at night the bright winter stars would make up for it. This was the place that I, Yokokawa Seita, had picked to bury my mother's remains. My sister and I had both come to this hill, which was bursting with colour at the time, and buried the wooden box containing our mother's ashes, along with our father's photograph. I had made a marker out of wood and placed it there, and now I found myself in front of that same marker.

"Hello, Mother." I said as I kneeled in front of the grave. "I know it's around the time of your birthday, so we decided to give you an extra special offering. Here..." I reached into the pocket of my dark blue coat and took out an offering of food. Then I placed it in front of the grave. "Setsuko and I made these ourselves. She couldn't come today, but she wanted to make sure you got them. Hope you like it! We made them the same way you used to."

I looked at the wooden marker. The writing on it was faded. Luckily I had prepared myself just in case. I reached into another pocket and took out a small black crayon. Then I began to rewrite the words on top of the faded ones. When I was done, I stood back and took a good look at it.

"Aha! Good as new!" I exclaimed. After that I prayed and bowed a few times before walking back down the hill towards home.

Walking along the roads, I looked at the new houses. Since the war had come to an end half a year ago, people worked day and night to rebuild our city. Back in August, the area had been nothing but piles of burnt rubble as a result of enemy air raids. A month after a kind elderly woman had taken us in, I began to work with other boys and men on construction projects. These projects had been going on for months, and they would keep going until the city was rebuilt.

I looked up at the grey clouds in the sky. It was starting to get dark. When I heard the sound of a plane in the distance I frantically looked around, preparing myself to run and dive into a ditch. Then I stopped myself and calmed down. Why did this always happen? The war ended months ago! There was no need to run and hide anymore. I didn't think I'd ever get used to it.

Finding myself back on the road surrounded by fields I looked in the distance at the small hill on which a house stood. A warm light flowed out the doors and windows of the house, defining the phrase "home sweet home." Yes, this was my home. This was where Setsuko, Yuki and I all lived under the loving care of the woman named Tanaka Teruko, whom we affectionately called Obaa-chan, or "grandmother." I smiled as I arrived in front of the house, because I could smell supper cooking. Suddenly a small figure poked its head out the door and ran towards me and into my arms.

"Nii-chan!" My sister Setsuko cried. "You're finally back! Yuki and Obaa-chan and me were all wondering when you'd be home. I wanted to eat supper, but Yuki said we couldn't until you were back."

"Oh, I see..." I teased. "So you care about food more than your big brother, do you? Oh well. I guess I'll just keep your special treat for myself since you don't seem to care..."

"What?" Setsuko gasped. "Oh, no, I do care about you, Nii-chan! And what's the treat?"

"Well..." I fiddled in my bag and felt the item I was looking for. "Weren't you saying something earlier about wanting one of these...?" I took out a small wooden Kokeshi doll and held it in front of Setsuko.

My sister beamed when she saw what I had brought her. She had seen that particular doll in a store window a while back and had asked me nonstop to get her one. Since her fifth birthday was back in October, I decided to get her one as soon as I could save enough to afford it. I knew that she, like most children, would _**not**_ stop bugging me until she got it. Setsuko grabbed the doll out of my hand, thanked me quickly, and ran back inside to show the others. I chuckled as I followed my sister inside the house.

As I took off my boots and coat, I said hello to Obaa-chan and Yuki, who were busy preparing the supper table. My stomach growled when I smelled how good the food seemed.

"So, I see Setsuko finally got that doll she's been eyeing." Yuki told me. "You're such a good brother, Seita. You always go out of your way to make your sister happy."

"That's right." Obaa-chan added with a chuckle. "Right now the little dear is trying to find the perfect place to put it!"

Once the supper table was set, the four of us sat down to eat the delicious food. For the past few months, despite hard times, we all lived happily. There was almost always enough food to eat. It was guaranteed we'd have shelter over our heads and a comfortable bed to sleep in. Since the clothes we had come here in were wearing out, Obaa-chan had seen to it that they were mended and that all three of us got new sets of clothing. I now wore a dark blue coat with matching pants, a long-sleeved white shirt and a navy-style cap.

Yuki and Setsuko had various types of clothing, them being girls and all. Both of them had white shirts and blue work pants. They also had skirts they wore with their shirts, Yuki's being dark blue and Setsuko's a bright red. They were both pleased to have hair ribbons that matched their skirts, but I didn't see what the big deal was about. Finally, when Yuki was around the house, she wore an apron that covered most of the front of her body, the same style that most women wore.

We also had our own sets of yukata for sleeping in. It felt very nice to put them on and sleep under the warm blankets during the winter nights. In some ways it was hard to believe that just a few months ago, Yuki and I were struggling to get enough food to feed Setsuko and keep ourselves alive. Nevertheless, it wasn't uncommon that one of us would wake up from a terrible nightmare, remembering the horrors of the past. Fortunately the only dreams we had this night were sweet and happy ones.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2: YUKI**

The next morning, like always, I was up before the others making breakfast. Once I had finished, the others were up and we all sat down to eat. Seita, being the average teenage boy, asked for seconds, and then thirds. Sometimes I wondered how anyone could eat so much. Maybe his stomach was just a bottomless pit the rest of us didn't have. After a while I had grown accustomed to simply handing him a second bowl the instant the first was done.

Once breakfast was finished, Seita left the house to help with the city's construction projects. When walking through the streets, I would often see small groups of boys and men carrying large pieces of wood or other supplies. Sometimes a few women would help too, but most of them stayed in the home caring for children and whatnot. Many people had lost homes during the air raids, and some still lived in temporary shelters or makeshift homes. In fact, it really wasn't that different than the life we had lived a few months ago.

That afternoon, it had been scheduled that Setsuko and a few other children her age would go to the Nakamura home to play for an hour or so. Therefore, we both sat in front of a mirror as I combed her hair and helped put on her dress. Setsuko's hair was still in the same style as before, though it had gotten a little longer. Obaa-chan made a comment about it on her way to put out the laundry.

"My, my, Setsuko." The elderly woman remarked. "Your hair seems to be getting longer every day! And one day it will be long and beautiful. Then you'll be able to style it in any way you like. Now, what would you want your hair to be like, Setsuko?"

Setsuko thought for a minute. She looked at herself in the mirror and then at her red ribbon. Then she looked at me and smiled. "When my hair's long," She replied, "I want it to be just like Yuki's. I'll put it in a braid with my ribbon!"

"Ah, that does sound pretty!" Obaa-chan said.

I smiled as I tried to imagine how the five-year-old would look with long hair. It was hard to picture it, but I thought it would still look nice. After I finished combing her hair, I gave Setsuko her ribbon and made a bow in it. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Then we headed to the front door to get her coat on, which was a dark pink. That's when she noticed something on the table.

"Yuki, I think Nii-chan forgot his lunch again..."

"Oh..." I noticed the bag sitting on the table. "Ugh! I keep reminding that boy, but he just doesn't listen! Oh well, I guess I'll take it to him once I drop you off at the Nakamura's." But I didn't know where Seita could be. I called out to Obaa-chan to see if she knew. "Obaa-chan! Where did Seita say he would be?"

"Hmm, let's see..." Obaa-chan pondered. "I think he said he would be just down the road from here. Somewhere near that small shrine... You know which one I'm talking about?"

"I think I do." I replied. "Well, we're off to the Nakamura's. Since I have to bring Seita's lunch to him, I won't be back for a while. See you later."

After I put my own coat on, I took Setsuko by the hand and headed down the road. We turned at the crossroads where a tree stood and headed into the small cluster of houses. The Nakamura family had fairly large residence and had twin boys named Tsuyoshi and Tamotsu. At first, they weren't the nicest people to us, but after a while Setsuko became friends with the twins and played with them often. Their mother, Nakamura Kasumi, welcomed us warmly. Once Setsuko was happily playing with her friends I left to find Seita.

I got back to the crossroads with the tree and made a turn to the east. After a while I came to the small shrine that I assumed Obaa-chan had told me about. I searched up and down the roads until finally saw a group of boys and men sitting down to lunch. But Seita was nowhere to be found. When I asked where he was, one of the men said his group was reassigned to the port area of town. That would mean I'd have to walk all across the city to reach him.

"Once I find you, Seita, you're dead...!" I muttered as I continued on my way. I went back in the direction I came from and turned at the crossroads once more. It took a long time to make my way to the southern part of the city. By now I was raging mad at my friend. When I saw him, I marched up to him and held out his bag of food.

Seita stared at me for a few seconds and gave a nervous chuckle as I glared at him. I can tell you that if looks could kill, he would have died ten times over. Then he hesitantly reached out to take his lunch, but I pulled it away.

"You said you wouldn't forget again!" I said sternly. "And do you know how far I had to walk to get this to you? Next time you forget, you go without!"

"It's no big deal, Yuki! Honestly!" Seita remarked as he held up his hands in defence. "Besides, I'm not that hungry anyway!"

"Really?" One of the boys passing by asked. "That's not what I heard at lunchtime." He looked at Seita then at me. "This guy's been complaining about being hungry for the past hour. We're all glad you've come. Maybe now he'll shut up!"

"_**You**_ shut up!" Seita retorted to his friend. Then he turned back to me and held out his hand. "Okay, I'm sorry, Yuki. I'll try not to forget again. Cross my heart and hope to die."

I sighed. "Alright! Here you go..." I put the bag in his hand and he sat down to eat. "But I mean it, Seita! If you forget one more time, I'm not bringing your lunch to you, no matter how close you are. You'll have no one to blame but yourself."

With those words I walked away and headed back to the Nakamura's. When I got there, Mrs. Nakamura and Setsuko were waiting on their front porch. I was supposed to have picked her up at three o' clock. But thanks to that idiot known as Yokokawa Seita, I was a half-hour late. I apologized to Setsuko for keeping her waiting, though I didn't tell her about her stupid brother.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: SEITA**

All the boys I was working with had stopped to watch Yuki and I argue. I had heard them snickering behind me and talking amongst themselves. A couple of them had dropped what they were doing to "enjoy the show." As Yuki walked away, every one of them stared after her, except for me since I was busy choking down my food. My friend Inoue Takeshi even wolf-whistled.

"Gee, Seita! How could you?" He said teasingly. "You never told us you had such a pretty friend! And a tough pretty friend at that!"

"Come on, Takeshi. You've seen her before!"

"But not that close up! Can I date her? Please?"

I looked my friend up and down. "I don't know... I'm not sure about Yuki's taste in guys, but... One thing I do know, is that what sane woman would date someone as ugly as you?"

"Me, ugly? Have you looked in a mirror recently?"

"As a matter of fact, I have." I smiled mischievously. "And it didn't break into a million pieces like it does with you!"

"Shut up, you son of a b- Ow! Let go 'a me!" Our group leader had come up behind Takeshi and pulled him up by the shirt collar. Then he reached for me and lightly bonked us on the head.

"Okay, you runts. Fun's over. Now back to work!"

"But Boss! He-"

"Back to work!"

Both Takeshi and I glared at each other for a few seconds, then picked up a wooden board and carried on with our work. We walked a ways with the board, climbed a ladder and hauled it onto the roof where it would be nailed down. Then we went back and got a second one. As we passed under the supports again I heard someone calling out. I looked up and dodged out of the way of a falling plank of wood.

"Sorry!" Suzuki Daisuke yelled. Both Takeshi and I responded that we were alright. Some of the guys working here were pretty good at handling things. Others like Daisuke were total numbskulls who were a hazard to be around. After a while, we became accustomed to people like him yelling out the words, "Look out" and "Sorry." We all agreed that it was a miracle no one had been killed yet.

"So, Seita..." Yamada Yoichi addressed me. "About your friend, Yuki. I know you already told Takeshi not to, but what about me? Can I date her?"

"Well, Yoichi, let me tell you." I replied. "Unlike Takeshi, you're a decent guy..."

"Hey! I am so decent!" Takeshi yelled at a distance. I ignored him.

"Go ahead and take her!" I laughed at Yoichi. "Maybe then she'll stop bugging me about every little thing. She has a tendency to over exaggerate."

"Seita, my boy." Mr. Nakamura added. "You've just got to know that every woman does that. Besides, I'm curious to know what you'd want in a girl."

"Oh, I don't know." I replied. "Any girl that doesn't boss me around."

"Umm... That's virtually impossible, boy."

"Oh, heck, it doesn't matter anyway!" I said. "I'm already stuck in a house with three females. I don't want another one around!"

"Well I know what I want!" Takeshi piped up. "I want a girl that's drop-dead gorgeous, worships me like a god and cooks awesome meals!"

"Wow..." Mr. Watanabe joined in. "That's everything my wife isn't...!"

"I heard that!" A distant female voice yelled. Mr. Watanabe turned as pale as a ghost and quickly went back to work.

"Yeah, I feel sorry for you, Seita." Daisuke said. "But I bet after that threat Yuki gave you, you'll never forget your lunch again!"

And I didn't forget my lunch again. Not for the next week or so anyway. One day during lunchtime, I realized I had forgotten it again. The guys all laughed at me and said that I'd be getting it when I got home. I told them that Yuki probably either forgot about her threat, or didn't really mean what she said. It turns out she did though, and I was hungry for the rest of the day.

When I got home that night, supper was being prepared. My lunch bag was still on the table. Both Yuki and Setsuko looked at me sternly. I chuckled nervously. "He he... I guess you weren't kidding, were you?"

"No. I wasn't." Yuki replied. "Setsuko, close your eyes. I don't want you to see this." She said as she raised her arm in the air. I went to bed that night with a sore red cheek.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: YUKI**

Over time, winter changed into spring. The grass got greener, and leaves appeared on the trees. Now that it was April, the cherry blossoms in the area were at its peak. On one particular day, Obaa-chan suggested we all go flower viewing, as was the custom during cherry blossom season. We each put on our best clothing and headed to the local park area.

The blossoms were very beautiful, like always. I remembered a day years ago when my parents and sisters were still alive. We had also worn our best clothing, though we didn't have any kimonos since we couldn't afford them. I recalled my mother pointing at a particular branch and telling us it would look wonderful in a painting. My sister Kayoko said she would paint it for her. The next day, with the help of my other sister Hisako, they painted a pretty picture for Mother.

"Ah..." Obaa-chan sighed. "Doesn't it feel wonderful to just sit here and admire the blossoms? Around this time I always give thanks that I have lived to see yet another set of these beautiful trees."

"You're right, Obaa-chan." Seita told her. "I never thought about it, though. But here we are. You, me, Setsuko and Yuki. It's all thanks to you that we're alive today."

"For the thousandth time, Seita, you don't need to thank me."

"And... Also..." Seita added, turning to me. "Yuki... You also made sure of that. I mean... With the advice and the helping and everything. So... Thank-you." He then quickly picked up Setsuko and pointed at the blossoms, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible. I simply smiled at him and looked where he pointed.

"They're such a pretty colour!" Setsuko awed. "I wish I had a dress that was just like the blossoms!"

I saw Seita roll his eyes and mouth "oh, no..." Whenever his sister wanted something, it was usually his money that bought the said object. He smiled up at Setsuko. "Well, we can get you a dress like that for your birthday, okay?"

"But that's such a long time from now, Nii-chan..."

"Yes, I know, Setsuko." Seita replied. "But I'll definitely get you one, as long as you're good. One must be patient, okay? So do me a favour and count the days. Your birthday will be here in no time!"

"Hey, Nii-chan! Isn't Yuki's birthday coming up?"

"That's right. She'll be fifteen like me, so we should think about getting her a present."

"Yeah! Maybe we can-"

"Shh!" Seita put a finger to his lips. "Not now, Setsuko! It'd be much better if it were a surprise, wouldn't you think?"

"Oh...!" I said. "You don't have to get me anything!"

"Oh, you don't have to get me anything..." Seita repeated, in a poor attempt to imitate my voice. "Of course we'll get you something, Yuki! You're our friend and it'd be great if you could have something nice."

"Yes, of course!" Obaa-chan added with a smile. "That is such a wonderful idea, you two. Yuki, don't refuse them! They just want to do something nice for you!"

"Alright, Obaa-chan!" I laughed. "But it doesn't have to be anything fancy. I'm sure I'll like whatever you get me."

Seita suddenly clutched his stomach. "Ooh, I'm so hungry... Can we sit down and eat our lunch now?"

"You're always hungry, Nii-chan!" Setsuko exclaimed. "How can you eat so much?"

"I guess I just have a bigger stomach than the rest of you." Seita laughed. "But really, can we eat now?"

We found a nice spot underneath the blossoming trees and set up a picnic there. I saw many families doing the same thing. Setsuko saw one of her friends and the two of them played nearby while we watched. During all this the cherry blossoms fell gently around us. The pink petals looked so delicate that we were afraid to touch them. It seemed as if even the most gentle of touches would ruin them.

We spent all of that afternoon talking, laughing, playing, and admiring the beautiful trees. It felt like we had left earth to spend a day in heaven. By the time we had to head back home, Setsuko had grown exhausted from all the running around and playing with her friend. Seita carried her on his back, remarking that she was getting heavy. Both Obaa-chan and I chuckled with him. If I had to define a "good day," a day like this would fit the description perfectly.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: SEITA**

Soon, the month of April ended and May began. Yuki's birthday arrived in the early days of the month, so just as I had suggested, we got her a present. We all sat down and ate our breakfast like any other morning. Setsuko was obviously impatient to give Yuki her gift, and occasionally had to keep herself from giggling. One would have thought it was her own present from the way she was acting.

She didn't have to wait for long though, for once I had finished eating, I took out the present and hid it behind my back. "Well, Yuki," I said. "As we all know, it's your fifteenth birthday, so each of us pitched in and got you a present. So here you go..." I held out a hair ornament that was decorated with white and blue flowers. "Obaa-chan made the suggestion to get you one, Setsuko picked it out at the shop, and I payed for it." I smiled. "Happy birthday, Yuki!"

"Oh, thank-you everyone!" Yuki beamed. "It's so beautiful! Thank-you very much!" With that, she tightly hugged each one of us. "I'll go put it on right now!"

We all smiled after her as she ran into the bedroom. A minute later she came back grinning from ear to ear and showing off her hair. I may have been the average teenage boy back then, but even I could see that the ornament suited my friend. We all complimented Yuki on how nice she looked, and she kept thanking us nonstop. Never had I seen her happier.

By now we had all eaten our breakfast. Luckily I didn't have to do any work today since it was our weekly day off. Earlier, we had been thinking of going somewhere today, but hadn't decided where yet. Since it was Yuki's birthday, we decided to let her choose. Her choice was the beach, since it had been a while since we had last been there. And as Setsuko loved the beach so much, she also became excited.

The four of us passed through the streets of Kobe, enjoying the sunshine. It had been raining a few days before, so the clear sky was a nice change. I said hello to any friends and fellow workers I passed by, who seemed to be enjoying their day as well. But when we passed by Takeshi, I saw that he was still eyeing Yuki. I gave him a cold glare and he backed off instantly. I looked back at the girls, but neither of them seemed to notice.

Once we arrived at the beach, I stripped down to nothing but a loincloth and ran full speed into the water. I could have sworn I jumped ten feet in the air when I realized the water was freezing. Yuki, Setsuko and Obaa-chan all laughed at me from behind, and I felt like I wanted to sink beneath the waves in my embarrassment. When I got back to shore we made sandcastles as Obaa-chan watched from her seat on a blanket. Then we played tag along the sand. I noticed Yuki wasn't joining us.

"Come on, Yuki!" I called out. "Aren't you gonna play tag?"

"Seita, I can't! I'm a cripple. I can't run as fast as you..."

My smile faded. A few weeks before Obaa-chan had taken us in, Yuki had been a victim of a plane strafing. She had been injured in the leg and though the wound healed, she now walked with a limp. Often she would joke around about her "disability," but on the inside, I could see that she still hated herself for it. I turned around and walked towards my friend until I stood directly in front of her.

"Listen, Yuki..." I said softly. "I've told you before, and I'll tell you again. You are not a cripple. None of us think you're a cripple, so you aren't. At least you still have both legs. At least you're still here with us..." I then smiled again and called out to my sister. "Setsuko! How be we play a different game? Then we can all participate!"

For the next while, the three of us waded in the water by a small dock, splashing each other and diving. Setsuko sat on the edge of the dock, kicking the water with her feet as Yuki and I had contests to see who could stay under the water for the longest time.

"Hey, Nii-chan! Look at-" My sister's words were cut off as Yuki and I went underwater for another round.

After almost a minute passed, I ran out of breath and resurfaced. Yuki followed a couple seconds later. We laughed at how close it was to a tie. Then we noticed that Setsuko wasn't on the dock. We both scanned the beach area, but my sister was nowhere to be seen. Yuki and I gasped, gave each other horrified looks, then dived back into the water. After a minute of searching, we resurfaced, with no sign of Setsuko. I ran out of the water and onto the beach.

"Setsuko! Setsuko, where are you!" I called frantically. "Obaa-chan! Where's Setsuko? Did you see her go into the water?" I turned around a corner of sand to where Obaa-chan was sitting and gave a sigh of relief. Setsuko was there with her.

"Oh, dear, Setsuko! It looks like you've given your brother quite the scare!" Obaa-chan said to her. Then she called out to Yuki and I. "It's alright, you two! She's right here with me. She found a pretty shell and wanted to show it to me!"

By now, Yuki had come to stand beside me. We both gave sighs of relief and fell backwards into the sand. "Gee, Setsuko..." I panted. "Why did you have to give us heart attacks?" I lifted my head to look at my sister. "And how come you didn't tell us where you were going? Remember what I taught you? If you want to go somewhere out of my sight, you let me know first!"

"But I did, Nii-chan!" Setsuko replied. "But you were both underwater and couldn't hear me! I'm sorry, Nii-chan and Yuki. I won't do it again!"

I let my head drop back into the sand. "Oh well... At least we know you're okay now, and that Yuki and I have recovered from our heart attacks..."


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6: YUKI**

After that little scare on the beach, the day went well. It was mostly spent on the beach now, making sandcastles and drawing with sticks. Setsuko had taken a stick and written her name in the sand. Then she asked Seita and I how our names were written. We both wrote our names in the sand and the five year-old made squiggly copies until she felt they looked perfect. Then she began to make a large picture.

"What are you drawing, Setsuko?" I asked. She pointed at the objects she had drawn.

"That's me over there!"

"What are those big things beside you?" Seita asked as he pointed.

"Those are butterflies, silly! And I'm chasing them! And over here is a picture of you and Yuki."

"Is that a big ball we're holding together?" Seita asked.

"No...!" Setsuko said in a disappointed tone. "Those are you're hands..." She looked as if she were about to cry. I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Setsuko." I said comfortingly. "Your brother just doesn't know good art when he sees it!"

"Ha ha..." Seita rolled his eyes. "Very funny..."

As the days went by, it got into the rainy season. Despite this, Seita still had to go to work. Setsuko sat on her bed sighing, obviously bored. Because of the rain, she couldn't play outside or she would get sick. Obaa-chan and I were busy doing chores, so we didn't have the time to play with her.

"I'm bored..." Setsuko sighed. "Can't you play a game with me?"

"I'm sorry, Setsuko." I said. "But we have chores to do. What about your friends? Maybe you can play at their house."

"But they're all busy..."

"Well, unless you can think of a way to make your own fun, you're helping with chores." I looked as the Kokeshi doll on the shelf. "Oh, look at poor Miss Asami! She's covered in dust and she looks so sad! She doesn't have arms, so she can't clean herself. I think I can hear her saying 'Please Setsuko! Help me clean myself up! Then I'll look nice and beautiful again!'"

Setsuko immediately ran out of the room and came back with a cloth. She began dusting her wooden doll, whom she named Miss Asami. When I saw that the little girl was occupied, I took the dirty laundry and washed it. By the time I was hanging it to dry, Setsuko had finished dusting Miss Asami. Therefore, I gave her some old newspaper and crayons to draw on.

Once all the chores were done, Obaa-chan and Setsuko went to their rooms for their afternoon naps. Suddenly I found _**I**_ was the one who was bored. After a while of reading the local newspaper, I took a couple of Setsuko's crayons and made my own drawings on it. I looked out at the rain. By now it had become a total downpour, practically a typhoon! I wondered how Seita was doing at work. Surely they wouldn't let the boys work in this weather. Or would they?

The rain continued to pour. I began to prepare supper for later on. While it was cooking on the stove, I went to the door and looked outside. I saw no sign of that familiar blue coat on the road. Soon Obaa-chan and Setsuko woke up and we all set the supper table. The rain was beginning to stop. Seita had not come back yet, but Obaa-chan said we could start without him.

As we ate, I heard the door opening. I stood up from the table and went to the doorway. There was Seita, soaked to the bone and coughing. I took off his blue coat to put it on the hanger, only to find it was heavy from being soaked with water. Even his shirt stuck to his body. I felt my friend's head. It was burning up, yet he was shivering.

"Oh, Seita!" I murmured. "I can't believe they made you and the boys work in weather like this! Here, let's get you warmed up."

"Thank-you, Yuki..." Seita mumbled. He broke into a fit of coughing as I led him to our room. I helped my friend remove his clothing and hung them up to dry. Then he wrapped himself in blankets and ate his supper in his bed. I went back to eating my own supper, telling Seita to call if he needed anything.

"Is he okay, Yuki?" Setsuko asked as I ate. "Is he really bad?"

"Your brother has a bit of a cold. But he'll be alright." I told her. "After he has a little rest and gets warmed up, he'll feel better."

"Someone should talk to whoever's in charge of the boy's group!" Obaa-chan declared. "They shouldn't have to work in these conditions!"

"Oh, I think he'll get the hint." I replied. "He'll realize his mistake when he sees only a quarter of the boys show up tomorrow..."

When I finished eating, I went back into our bedroom and took Seita's dinner plates to wash them. My friend was lying under the blankets trying to sleep.

"Well, Seita," I said. "If you need anything, just tell me or Obaa-chan." My tone became stern. "And don't you _**dare**_ act proud and refuse help, you hear me?"

Seita smiled faintly. "Yes, _**Mother**_..." he whispered as he closed his eyes. I got a cold washcloth and put it on his forehead.

After that, we all prepared ourselves for bed, trying our best not to disturb the sleeping boy. For the next few days, Seita stayed home recovering. And as I had predicted, his group leader did get the hint, and wouldn't let his boys work in such severe weather.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7: SEITA**

The rain lasted for a few more days. And during those few days I felt just awful. It was one of those times when I felt hot and cold at the same time. The nonstop coughing and sneezing was a real pain too. But the girls went out of their way to take care of me, especially Yuki. Even though she was annoying when she bossed me around, I guess her acting motherly was still a good thing. I began to appreciate her help a little more. Just a little, though.

The third day since then was bright and sunny. By now I had almost completely recovered, but I still stayed home an extra day just to be sure I was okay. I sat on my bed and read the paper while Yuki and Setsuko played a guessing game on the back porch. I could hear the birds singing outside. I sighed and stretched, basically just relaxing.

When I heard footsteps I looked up to see Obaa-chan coming into the room. She was holding a few pieces of paper in her hands and she kneeled in front of me. "Now, Seita. There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about, and I think now would be a good time."

I put down the newspaper and sat in a kneeling position across from her. "Alright." I said. "I am listening Obaa-chan. What do you have to say?"

"Well..." She started. "You and the girls have been in my care for almost a year now. And I now consider the three of you as my own grandchildren. So about these..." Obaa-chan put the pieces of paper in front of me. "As you know, I have no living relatives in the area. I have been rewriting my will, and I've come to the conclusion that when I leave this world, the three of you will inherit my things..."

I stared in shock at Obaa-chan. Never had I considered anything like that. "Obaa-chan..." I said. "I... don't know what to say. But we aren't relatives! Are you sure there's no one else?"

"Nope. There's no one else." Obaa-chan replied. "So when I'm gone, Yuki and Setsuko will inherit various possessions of mine. As for you... Since you are the man of this household, you will inherit this very house and its surrounding property."

I didn't know exactly what to feel. I was happy that Obaa-chan trusted us with her things, but I also felt we didn't deserve it. My confusion, though, was my greatest feeling. She really cared for us that much? She really considered us her own grandchildren?

"Obaa-chan... I can't take it." I said with my head bowed.

"Sure you can!" Obaa-chan laughed. "I told you when we met that I would make sure you'd be taken care of. Didn't I keep my promise?"

"Well... Yes, you did. But..."

"This makes your future secure, Seita. When you marry and have children, you won't have to worry about giving them shelter. And you will also..."

Obaa-chan's words faded away as I got deeper in thought. Marriage? Children? It all seemed so far away for my fifteen-year-old self. I'd never even thought of getting married. Yuki was the only girl my age I really talked to, so there wasn't anyone I really liked. What was it like to have children?

I looked over at Setsuko, who was still playing with Yuki. For the past few years I'd been looking after my sister with little to no help at all. First off, my mother had had heart problems so she couldn't do too much, and then after she died I was on my own completely. I guess I already had an idea of what raising children was like. But what was it like to have a wife? Suddenly my gaze was pulled away from my sister, focussing on Yuki's face...

"Seita! Are you paying attention to me?" Obaa-chan's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I bowed my head once more.

"I am sorry, Obaa-chan. I wasn't listening. May you please repeat what you've just said?"

"Well, as I've said, your wife and children will live here. And you may..." Obaa-chan continued explaining to me about what was all going to happen and how everything was going to work. I was still a little surprised at the fact that I was going to inherit this place, but by now I came to accept it and nodded every once in a while as she talked. When Obaa-chan was finished explaining everything, I bowed so low my head touched the floor and thanked her for everything.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8: YUKI**

That night I was woken up by a noise. I looked around the room, but everything was quiet again. I tried going back to sleep, but I heard the noise again. When I looked around again, I noticed that Seita was quietly mumbling in his sleep, which I thought was strange, as he didn't normally do that. My friend mumbled some more and turned over. I tried going back to sleep a second time, but the mumbling got louder. I crawled over to my friend to see what was going on.

"Setsuko... Yuki..." Seita said. His speaking gradually got louder. "Get out of the way... Hurry...! Ahh!" He suddenly thrashed his arm out. "Setsuko, get back here! Yuki! _**Yuki!**_"

When I shook my friend, his eyes opened simultaneously to his gasping. He then turned his head to look at me, then at Setsuko, who had been woken up by the noise. His mouth quivered and his eyes looked like they'd drop tears any second.

"What's wrong, Nii-chan?" Setsuko asked faintly. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Seita wiped his eyes and attempted to smile at his sister. "Yes I did, Setsuko."

"Was it scary? Did it have monsters in it?"

"Yeah..." Seita trailed off. He stared over my shoulder at nothing in particular. "They were giant metal monsters. And they had wings and engines. And they dropped raining fire on towns and shot bullets at people..." As he described the "monsters" he slowly got up and headed for the back porch. I tucked Setsuko in bed again and went to Seita. He was sitting on the porch looking at the moon, with tears streaming down his face.

"It's okay..." I whispered. "I dream about those monsters too..." I put a hand on his shoulder. Seita smiled slightly. "Would you want to tell me about it?"

His smile faded. "I dreamed of the time you got hurt by that plane..." he turned back to look at the sky. "It was just like how it really happened. You fell over, and I had to drag Setsuko into the ditch so she wouldn't be hit as well... Only one thing was different. In my dream... You didn't make it..."

"Oh, Seita..." I tried to think of something I could say to comfort him. "You definitely aren't alone, you know. I dream about that same event all the time. In case you haven't noticed, I'm too scared to even go down the road where it happened. I also dream of when Setsuko was sick... Or when that air raid killed my family... Or when that soldier tried to assault me. What would have happened if things hadn't turned out for the better. And it never goes away..."

"I know what you mean. Every time I hear a plane engine, I have to fight myself not to run into a ditch. Every time I hear a loud bang, I have to convince myself it isn't a bomb exploding. And I don't think I'll ever get over those fears. For as long as I live, I will _**never**_ get over them..."

"Well..." I replied with a sad smile. "Let's be thankful we're all okay now. I've come up with a strategy when it comes to nightmares. Try to think happy thoughts while going to sleep. Then you're less likely to have them. I don't know if it actually works, but I like to believe it does."

"Thanks." Seita smiled. "I'll try that."

We managed to get back to sleep that night. The next morning we were woken by the birds chirping. Looking outside I saw puffy white clouds against the bright blue sky. It looked like it was going to be a perfect day. Despite what had happened the night before, we were all happy as we ate at our breakfast. Once he was finished, Seita threw on his coat and was about to go out the door when I cleared my throat.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" I said as I pointed at the bag on the table. Seita looked where I was pointing. Then I pointed to the shovel with a menacing glare. My friend suddenly turned pale, quickly grabbed his lunch and ran out the door, Setsuko laughing after him.

I chuckled. Seita had definitely learned his lesson from before. Once breakfast was finished I had to run some errands. While I was at it I was to drop Setsuko off at the Nakamura's for a few hours. Then I would head into town and buy some groceries. By the time I had completed those tasks I recognized a friend and begin chatting.

"So, Satsuki," I said to my friend. "What's been happening with you lately?"

"Oh, nothing much..." Satsuki said.

"She's got a new boyfriend, that's what!" a girl a bit older than me said as she joined us.

"Oh, hi, Yoshiko! How are you?" I asked.

"I'm fine, thank-you." Yoshiko said. "And I wasn't kidding when I said Satsuki's got a boyfriend. He's over there. In the brownish-yellow coat." I looked over and saw the boy along with a few others doing a construction job. Then I caught sight of Seita's blue coat among them. So this was where he was working today.

"So what's your boyfriend's name, Satsuki?"

"His name's Hiroshi..." Satsuki blushed.

"Well I hope you two are happy together!"

"So Yuki, do you have a boyfriend?"

"No..." I said while looking back at the group of boys. By now Takeshi, Yoichi and Daisuke had noticed me and were waving. I groaned. "But I think there's one or two over there who wish they could be..."


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9: SEITA**

"Okay, guys." I shouted. "Coming through!"

Yoichi and I both climbed the ladder carrying planks of wood. After passing them to Daisuke, who hadn't improved a bit on handling things, we took different tasks. Yoichi and I worked on the flooring, while Takeshi and Mr. Nakamura took our jobs. All the while we were on the lookout for falling planks that had slipped through Daisuke's butterfingers.

"Hey! I can see Yuki!" Takeshi yelled. He took off his hat and waved. "Hey, Yuki! Over here! It's me, Inoue Takeshi!"

Yoichi and Daisuke immediately followed his lead and began waving wildly. I groaned and rolled my eyes. When would they leave my poor friend alone? Other than the adult men, Nosaka Hiroshi and I were the only ones who didn't wave at the small group of girls. We both agreed that the others were acting stupid. But then Hiroshi saw that his girlfriend was also there and joined in the waving. I slapped my forehead.

Our group leader was trying to get everyone organized and back to work. When he saw I was still hammering the floorboards into place, he praised me for being seemingly the only sane person in this group of numbskulls. After a minute, the group leader finally convinced the guys to focus on the work and not on the girls. Things were back to normal. Well, almost normal, as the guys kept sneaking looks in the girls' direction.

While still hammering, I lifted my head to look at Yuki. She was holding a bag of groceries and talking to two other girls. The three of them would talk to each other for a few seconds and go into a fit of giggling. My hammering slowly came to a stop. I wondered what they were talking about. To be more specific, I was actually wondering what Yuki was talking about. Was it about me? It was hard to tell, for they appeared to be speaking in girl-code, an ancient code that's so secret, it's almost impossible for the male mind to decipher...

"Ahh! Look out!" Daisuke yelled. I quickly looked up to see a falling plank.

_**WHAM!**_

I came to about five minutes later. When I looked around I realized I was in Mr. Watanabe's house, which wasn't far from where we were working. Mrs. Watanabe was cleaning a bloodied washcloth nearby. I put a hand to my nose and saw the sticky red liquid. My head wasn't feeling that great either, and I could have sworn there was a bump the size of a chicken egg on it. Looking in a nearby mirror I saw it wasn't as bad as it felt it was. When Mrs. Watanabe saw I was awake, she gave me the soaked washcloth for my nosebleed and sent me back outside. After all, one small injury shouldn't keep a young man from working.

"Seita! You're alive!" Some of the guys called out as I returned. Some of them jokingly hugged me and patted my back. "It's a miracle! Daisuke's clumsiness hasn't killed you!"

"Yay! I'm not a murderer!" Daisuke cheered from the rooftop. He flung his arms in the air, accidentally knocking over a bucket of nails in the process. Everyone dodged out of the way as quickly as they could. Daisuke slowly looked over the edge of the roof and saw everyone was alright. "Yahoo!" he cheered again. "I'm still not a murderer!"

"Are you alright, Seita?" a female voice called. I turned around to see Yuki coming toward me. "You aren't badly hurt, are you? We were all worried..."

"I'm alright Yuki. Don't worry about me."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure."

"Alright then... I'd best be going. I have to fetch Setsuko from the Nakamura's. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Hey, Yuki!" Takeshi cried. "Can I come visit sometime!"

"No, you idiot!" Yoichi growled. "_**I'm**_ going to visit her!"

"Shut up! Both of you!" The group leader yelled. "Get back to work before I start breaking your limbs!" For once, I agreed with him, for I felt like breaking a few limbs myself...

That night when I got back home, it turns out everyone had been waiting for me. Yuki had told Obaa-chan and Setsuko about my injuries, so they were pretty worried.

"Can I help you, Nii-chan?" Setsuko asked while getting ready for bed. "Does it hurt?"

"Don't worry, Setsuko. It doesn't hurt that much." I smiled. "We all have accidents, don't we? Look at you! You tripped on that rock the other day, and you were completely fine afterwards. And you didn't even cry! You're a strong kid, just like your big brother."

"Nii-chan...?"

"Yes, Setsuko?"

"Can we visit Mommy's grave tomorrow?"

"Hmm... I don't think I'll have the time. But what about the day after? I'll be free then!"

"Okay! That's alright with me!"

"Alright! The day after tomorrow it is then!"


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10: YUKI**

Two days after Seita's accident, he and Setsuko went to visit their mother's grave. It was raining out, but the siblings didn't care whether it was rain or shine. I watched them as they left the house and walked down the road. Seita carried his sister on his back, holding an umbrella and singing a children's song about rain drops falling. It felt nice seeing them so happy.

After they had left, the day was just normal. Obaa-chan and I spent the morning and afternoon doing chores and the usual things. Once we were finished we ate our lunch on the back porch and watched the rain. We began to chat about random things and soon came to the topic of the rain itself.

"I loved the rain so much when I was young." Obaa-chan reminisced. "I would always play and jump in the puddles. My mother always had to keep towels at the ready, for I always came into the house soaking wet." She began to chuckle. "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm babbling like an old woman again. It helps that I am an old woman but..."

"Hey, I don't mind, Obaa-chan." I replied. "I like hearing your stories. Then the chores don't seem so boring!"

"Thank-you very much, Yuki. Anyways, I loved the rain very much, and so did my husband when he was young, for we knew each other as children. Our parents had arranged our marriage, but we were still happy. And then my daughter inherited that love for rain as well." Obaa-chan looked back out the window again. "It's been almost a year now..."

I knew what she was talking about. Last year, on June 5th, nearly five hundred enemy planes had dropped 3077 tons of incendiary bombs over Kobe. About eleven square kilometres of the city was burned to the ground. This air raid had not only taken the lives of Obaa-chan's daughter and grandchildren, but it was also the very same raid during which Seita and Setsuko lost their mother. The war had been painful for everyone, so nobody ever really talked about it. Nobody wanted to remember the suffering they had experienced during those hard times.

I decided to change the subject since Obaa-chan looked so sad. "I wonder what Seita and Setsuko are up to now." I said. "I really hope they don't catch a cold. Yes, I know they have an umbrella with them, but still."

Obaa-chan looked at me and smiled. "You really care for those two, don't you? You know, I always find it amusing when that boy tells you you're acting too motherly. But you can't help it, can you now?"

"That's right Obaa-chan." I laughed. "Someone has to keep them out of trouble, right?"

We continued laughing until we heard the door opening. Seita and Setsuko came into the room, completely dry thanks to their umbrella. The two siblings said hello and asked how we were doing. Setsuko sat down beside me, fiddling inside her brother's bag. Soon she found what she was looking for and took out a small tin of fruit drops. She tried to open it, but couldn't, so she gave it to me to open.

"It's been a long time since you've last had these, Setsuko." I said as I got the lid off. I gave her the tin and she put one of the candies in her mouth.

"Yeah, I know." Setsuko smiled as she sucked on the fruit drop. "That's why I asked Nii-chan if I could have some!"

"Asked?" Seita said in teasing disbelief as he came into the room. "More like begged! She saw those and insisted I buy them for her! She was bowing and everything!"

"I did not, Nii-chan!" Setsuko looked embarrassed.

"Oh, yes you did!"

"No I didn't!"

"Yes you did!"

"Okay, that's enough, you two." I said coming in between them. "So how was it at your mother's grave, Seita?"

"It was great. It may have been raining, but it still looked pretty there. The rain made the grass look nice and green. And there were a few flowers too. Setsuko and I think Mother's spirit is definitely happy."

"Well, that's great! You must be hungry! Should I make you lunch?"

"It's okay. Setsuko and I ate on the way back."

For the rest of that day we finished the remaining chores. Setsuko did more drawing on the newspaper. Seita did some drawing with her, and this time he was able to guess what his sister was drawing. Maybe he really was learning to appreciate good art when he saw it.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11: SEITA**

June soon turned into July and it was right in the middle of summer. The rain was getting less and less, and the weather was great. There was also a bit of excitement these days, for there was going to be a festival in a week or so. Because of the war, it had been impossible to hold any sort of event for the past couple years, so people were happy that they could go back to tradition.

While doing construction jobs, all us guys were acting much more excited than the average guy normally would. Our group leader even made a comment that if he didn't know any better, he would have thought a bunch of women had replaced us. I really couldn't blame him, for we were all gossiping for the whole week leading up to it.

Even after all this time, it seemed that the guys hadn't gotten over their infatuations with Yuki. They would all ask for my permission to take her to the festival, then they would all begin fighting with one another, unaware that I hadn't said anything yet. I didn't approve of any of them being alone with my friend, and I had even changed my mind about Yoichi being a decent guy. After I broke up the fighting, I told them that Yuki wouldn't go alone with anyone, that I would be accompanying her at all times. The guys were disappointed, but still happy when I told them that we would all hang out as a group.

The night of the festival arrived. Obaa-chan, Setsuko, and Yuki and I headed into town with smiles on our faces. There was music playing and booths full of merchants selling their wares. As the girls were looking at jewellery I met up with the guys nearby. The group consisted of only Takeshi, Yoichi and Daisuke, for the others were busy with their own things. When Yuki was done at the jewellery booth, she separated from Obaa-chan and Setsuko and joined us.

Many other girls, especially Yuki's friends, gave jealous looks in her direction. After all, their friend was with not one, but four guys (me being the most handsome, of course), all of them willing to do what she wanted. When the other guys were out of earshot, Yuki told me that she was glad I was with her, beings that I was a close friend who actually had a decent sized brain in his head. For some reason, hearing her comment made my face suddenly feel a strange, yet nice sensation of warmth. I then felt embarrassed and fought myself to keep a straight face. Looking around, I was glad no one had noticed.

"Say, Yuki. How be I buy you something to eat?" Takeshi asked. "I've got money."

"Oh no you don't!" Yoichi butted in. "I've got more money than you! Let me buy her something!"

"Excuse me, Yuki." Daisuke said with a blush. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but would you like me to buy you anything?"

"Don't let him, Yuki!" Takeshi cried. "He'll drop it in his clumsiness!"

"Oh, don't buy me anything. I'm still full from supper." Yuki replied. She looked down the street a ways and brightened up. "A fortuneteller! I've always wanted to see one! You mind if I go there?"

"Oh, sure! Go on ahead!" We said all at once. As Yuki went inside the booth I felt relieved. My friend was obviously itching to get away from that trio of blockheads. In my opinion, fortunetellers were just people you paid to tell you nonsense, so she must have been that desperate. But then again, maybe she liked that kind of stuff, so I didn't say anything to her. Maybe now she could be away from Takeshi and Co for two minutes minimum and have a little fun.

"Hey, guys! Over here!" Takeshi motioned us to the booth. "Let's hear what this fortuneteller has to say. Maybe she'll mention me!" He put his ear to the cloth with a grin and the others followed his lead. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, hello, Yuki!" a voice called from inside the booth. "Come in and let's see what your future holds, dear."

The boys gasped. "She knows her name! Maybe this woman's the real thing!" Beings as I was a little curious, I joined the other guys and eavesdropped as well.

"Alright, dear." The fortuneteller said. "What do you want me to tell you? Oh wait! Don't tell me! You want to know about love, don't you?"

"Yes..." Yuki said. "That's right. I want to know what kind of person I will marry."

The guys all smiled at each other and quickly put their ears back to the cloth. It was obvious they were hoping the fortune teller would say one of them was Yuki's future husband. I listened in as well, yet prayed to Buddha it wasn't one of them. _**Anyone**_ but one of them!

"Alright, dear, these are your future husband's traits." The fortune teller said. Then she began listing the qualities. "He is very kind, and a hard worker. And he will risk his life to protect the people he loves. His pride is strong, and sometimes he lets it control his actions. Therefore he will need someone like you to advise him to make good choices. Of course, like any person in this world, he isn't perfect, but he will seem that way in your eyes."

"Thank-you, ma'am." Yuki said.

I gave a sigh of relief. At least this man was going to be a good person to my friend. In fact, he sounded like someone I could get along with. And none of the qualities listed matched those of the other guys, so I could be sure it wasn't one of them. But it seems that they completely ignored that, for they kept waiting for the moment one of their names was mentioned.

"I have another question, ma'am." Yuki added. "For this future husband of mine... What character does his surname begin with?"

"Hmm... Let's see..." The fortune teller thought. "His surname starts with a 'Y'."

With that, Yoichi removed his ear from the cloth and glared at me. "That narrows it down to you and me, Yokokawa!"

"Oh, yeah?" I retorted. "How are you sure it's one of us, Yamada?"

"Hey!" Takeshi butted in. "Who said it started with 'Y'? Because to me it sounded more like an 'I'!"

"That's it!" I yelled. "Will you guys learn to shut up? This is my friend your talking about! And you guys are all... Ugh!" I took a deep breath. "I'm gonna go get something to eat. You guys want anything...?"

"No thanks, pal." Takeshi said quietly. "I'm good..."

"Yeah, we ain't hungry." Yoichi added.

"Not anymore anyways..." Daisuke murmured. "For some reason I've lost my appetite..."

I was eager to get away from the trio of imbeciles, yet in a hurry to get back so Yuki wouldn't have to wait for long. Therefore I quickly went to the market across the street where I still had the fortune telling booth in sight. When I looked back I saw that the guys were still eavesdropping, yet they now had their mouths tightly shut. I was surprised they had actually thought about what I had said. They were still imbeciles, but at least their hearing had improved.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12: YUKI**

While I was kneeling in front of the fortuneteller I heard some yelling coming from outside the booth. I didn't know what was being said, but I could tell it was Seita's voice. I hoped everything was alright. I just knew he and the other boys would get into a fight. Their constant flirting made me a little uneasy, and it seemed like it had all turned into a competition for them. Therefore I came up with a way that would hopefully put an end to it all.

"Um... Ma'am? I have one last question for you." I said.

"Well go on and ask, dear." The woman kindly replied. "Don't be shy!"

"Well, if I'm not correct, there's quite a few guys outside listening in on us..." I heard some quiet chatter outside, but I ignored them and continued. "My question is... Is one of them my future husband?"

The fortuneteller chuckled. "I see...! They sure don't know when to quit, don't they? And it seems they've gotten your friend so worked up, he's up and left..."

"Left? Oh..." I said. So now Seita was gone? Now how would I put up with the others?

"Oh, don't worry!" The woman chuckled. "He'll be right back. And as for your question, I can tell you are pretty concerned about those three that are currently eavesdropping! The answer to that question is... No. None of them is your soul mate."

I smiled and sighed with relief. Though I hadn't shown it, those boys had been getting on my nerves. Maybe now they'd leave me alone. I bowed low to the fortuneteller. "Thank-you very much, ma'am. You've helped me out quite a bit. I reached into my pocket to give the required payment, only to find it empty. "Oh, no..." I fretted. I reached in my second pocket. Still nothing. "I'm so sorry, ma'am. I don't seem to have anything right now! Is it alright if I come back in five minutes? I promise I'll pay you back...!"

"That's perfectly fine, Yuki dear..." She smiled. "I'm a fortuneteller, don't you know? I can tell you can be trusted. I'll wait right here for you."

I walked out of the booth to see the three guys still outside. All of them seemed awful quiet, only speaking to say a quick hello to me. I looked across the street to see Seita coming in our direction. He was eating out of a small box of food he was holding. I said hello to him and told him about my small money problem.

Seita smiled. "It's okay, Yuki. I'll handle it." We both walked into the booth and Seita and the fortune teller exchanged polite hellos. My friend fiddled in his bag and took out the required money and gave it to her.

"Thank-you kindly, young man." She smiled. We both bowed and headed to the entrance. "It was nice meeting you both!" The fortune teller called out behind us. "I hope my fortunes prove correct that you'll be happy in your futures!"

When we walked out of the booth we hung out with the trio for a little longer before rejoining Obaa-chan and Setsuko. They both looked like they'd been having a great time so far. We ate, sang, listened to music, played games and more for the rest of the night. Seita and Setsuko even competed against each other in some events. Seita went easy on his sister for some things, but for others it turned out he didn't need to.

After we'd all had enough excitement for the night, we left the city and went home. Once in the countryside, we noticed that the fireflies were out. The distant noises in the city were the only things heard as we caught the glowing insects around the rice fields. As simple as the activity was, it never got old to the four of us.

"My, isn't it nice..." Obaa-chan breathed. "After all this excitement, isn't it just relaxing to catch fireflies on summer nights?"

"Yes, it really is." I agreed.

For the next ten minutes, we all caught fireflies. Even Obaa-chan joined us and caught a few. By now, thanks to her brother, Setsuko had become a master at catching the little glowing bugs. She no longer needed anyone's help, and it seemed that she was better than all of us. The sky was clear, the moon was shining and the crickets chirped that summer night. Although this place wasn't as lively as the town, the laughter was just as loud.

And as for the "trio of blockheads" as Seita called them, they never bothered to flirt with me again. It seems they truly believed the fortune teller's words and decided to accept and respect them. It also turns out that she had been right, for I didn't marry any one of them. Even so, they each lived fairly average, happy lives when they grew up. As for the man I eventually married in my adulthood, well... that's another story I'll have to tell you later.

* * *

**Just a fun fact about Takeshi. At first, he was only meant to be in just that one scene in the previous fanfic. When I decided to introduce Seita's group of friends in this one, I decided, why not include Takeshi? Plus, in the final sequel I'm currently working on, although he gets as much "screen time" as he does here, his role is a little more important to the story Of course, I'm not gonna tell you how... Anyways, now that the whole fortuneteller thingy is over with, we can get back to... whatever it was before! Happy Reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13: SEITA**

A few days after the festival, on my weekly day off from work, I found myself looking after not one, but four children for the afternoon. The Nakamura twins were now attending school, but it was now the summer holidays for them, therefore they had a chance to play with Setsuko, who was a year or so younger. Another girl my sister was friends with came to play too. Since Yuki and Obaa-chan were busy with chores, I was left to watch them.

The four children ran and laughed down the path as I followed close behind. I was happy seeing my sister playing with friends and being a normal kid. She no longer had to go through the hell on earth we had been living in just a year ago. Back then she was riding on my back escaping the bombings. Yuki and I were her only friends - there were no children her age she could play with. Now she looked like one of the happiest kids in Japan, therefore making me the happiest big brother in the world.

We soon came to a park area where there was plenty of room to run around in. This was the same area where we had gone to see the cherry blossoms back in April. The trees no longer bore the delicate pink petals, but had fresh looking green leaves. I sat in the shade of a large tree, watching and smiling from a distance as the children played. I inhaled the fresh air and followed with an exhale just as large. The temperature was fairly hot, so I took off my coat and fanned myself with my hat.

On the pathway not too far away, the four children were playing tag. Once they were tired from all the running, they discussed what to play next. They were all huddled together and whispering to each other. Then they all turned to me, waving and calling out.

"Mr. Yokokawa!" Tamotsu cried out. "Wanna play 'Kagome Kagome' with us?"

"Please do, Mr. Yokokawa!" his twin Tsuyoshi joined. "We all want to play, but we need more people! How about it?"

I smiled and stood up. "Alright. If that's what you want! And by the way, you don't have to call me Mr. Yokokawa. Just call me Seita if you like!" I ran over to the children and joined in their game.

While I had been growing up, I had seen other children play 'Kagome Kagome', but had rarely played it myself. Fortunately I still knew the rules from memory. One child would kneel down with their eyes closed, while the others would form a circle around them. Then they would circle around the child while chanting the traditional song for the game. Once the song was over, the child in the middle had to guess who was behind them. If the child was correct, he would switch places with them and the game would continue.

The girl whose name was Harada Chiyoko was chosen to go in the middle first. We all joined hands and sang the song as we circled around her.

Kagome Kagome crouch little bird inside your cage,

when oh when will he get out?

Up before the light of dawn.

Crane and turtle slipped and fell,

who is behind you can you tell?

Once the song was finished, Chiyoko hesitated a little. Then she called out "Tsuyoshi?"

"Wrong!" We all shouted. Chiyoko looked behind her to see Tamotsu. The girl groaned in disappointment as she kneeled back down and the game started again.

"Setsuko!" Chiyoko called out.

"Yay! You're right!" Then the two girls switched places and once again we sang the song.

"Nii-chan!" Setsuko guessed. My sister turned around to see that I was indeed behind her. "Yay! I guessed right! Now you have to go in the middle, Nii-chan."

I chuckled as all four children urged me to get in the middle, despite my protests. In the end I crouched down on the ground with the children circling me. With my hands covering my eyes I tried to hear and recognize the voices of each child. Maybe then I would have a better chance of guessing who was behind me. Soon the singing came to a stop and I concentrated as hard as I could. Whose voice did I last hear behind me...?

"Setsuko!" I opened my eyes and whirled around. Sure enough, my sister was standing behind me, smiling happily.

We played a few more rounds of the game until the children got bored of that. Then I sat back down in my place under the tree and watched as they began to play hide and seek. While Tsuyoshi counted, the children ran in all directions. Setsuko ran in my direction and climbed up the tree I sat under.

"Hey, Nii-chan. Don't tell 'em I'm here, okay?" I gave my sister a thumbs-up and a wink.

Tsuyoshi finished counting and began to search for the others. It didn't take long for him to find Chiyoko, who had hidden in a bush a few feet away from where he had stood. But as for Tamotsu and Setsuko, they proved more tricky for him. He searched for five minutes (which is an awfully long time for a child) until he found his twin brother in a tree. Now the only person left to find was my sister Setsuko. Soon everyone was searching for her.

I decided to give them a hint. "You know, fellas, Setsuko came by here a while ago. She's hiding somewhere nearby, but I won't tell you exactly where she is. I made a promise not to tell."

Tsuyoshi immediately darted for a tree that stood not far from the one I sat under. "I bet she's up this tree! Do any of you guys see her?" Tamotsu and Chiyoko both looked up the tree, then shrugged their shoulders. "Well, if you guys are too chicken to do it, I'll find her!" With those words, the boy began climbing the tree.

I watched as the young boy climbed higher and higher. Chiyoko and Tamotsu kept asking whether he'd seen Setsuko, the response being a shake of the head. Suddenly he looked into the tree I stood under. "There you are!" he yelled. But as he called out his foot slipped from under him. Tsuyoshi grabbed a nearby branch and held on tightly. I threw my coat underneath him, so that if he fell it would be a softer landing. Then his hand slipped and he fell from the tree.

Tsuyoshi hit the ground with a thud. Tamotsu ran towards his brother and tried to wake him up, but with no response. I went over to the boy and checked for signs of breathing, and fortunately he was. There didn't seem to be any blood, but that didn't mean he wasn't injured. It was best if he got to a doctor quickly.

"Tsuyoshi... Wake up!" Tamotsu cried. He looked up at me with tears in his eyes. "Oh, Mr. Yokokawa! Is he going to die?"

I gently picked up the unconscious boy in my arms. Then I looked at his twin. "He's alright for now. I think we should take him home, then get him a doctor. Come on! Hurry!"

The sun was sinking beneath the horizon. People walking down the road turned their heads as they saw a young man running down the path carrying an unconscious boy with three more children following closely. We finally reached the Nakamura house where we explained everything to Mrs. Nakamura, who sent for a doctor. Tsuyoshi soon regained consciousness. Both Mrs. Nakamura and I stood over him.

"Ahh... My head..." he mumbled. The he noticed Mrs. Nakamura and I. "Mother...! Mr. Yokokawa...! What has happened? Have I died...?"

"Oh, Tsuyoshi!" Mrs. Nakamura cried as she hugged her son. "You're alright! I'm so glad! Don't worry now. Everything will be alright."

Once Setsuko, Chiyoko and Tamotsu saw their friend was going to be fine, they began to cheer. "Does it hurt much, Tsuyoshi?" Tamotsu asked his brother. "Do you have a scar or anything? If you do, can I see?"

I tried my hardest not to laugh in the presence of the boy's mother out of respect. That and the fact that the current situation was no laughing matter. He sounded just like a regular young boy. Always eager to see something that wouldn't be pleasant to the normal respectful girl or woman. But Mrs. Nakamura noticed me trying to keep a straight face, and told me that her boys were like that all the time, nothing new. Then Tsuyoshi went back to sleep.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Is there anything more I may do to help?" I asked. "If the doctor wants any money I'll be willing to pay for it."

"Oh no, young man!" Mrs. Nakamura gasped. "I couldn't do that to you. You've already done so much! Looking after him and bringing him here and all that..."

"But the boy was in my care when the accident happened." I said firmly as I bowed my head. "I feel I'm responsible for any expenses. I won't leave until all that can be done is done."

"No, really... You've done enough."

"I strongly insist, ma'am." I said with another bow.

Although there really wasn't much I could do, I stayed by Tsuyoshi's side for the rest of the afternoon. Then I escorted Chiyoko and Setsuko home and went right back to the Nakamura household. The doctor had come by now and gave the report that there was nothing serious and didn't ask for any payment. After mildly scolding the boy to be more careful, he left the house. I stayed for a few more minutes before announcing I was leaving.

"Oh, thank-you so much for all you've done." Mrs. Nakamura said as she bowed low. Then she looked at her two sons, one on the bed, and the other in a chair nearby. "What do you have to say, you two? Look at how much he's done for you today! Be polite and thank him."

"Thank-you, Mr. Yokokawa." Tsuyoshi said. "You were really fun to play with, and you saved my life...!"

"Yeah!" Tamotsu piped up. "You're really cool, too! We should hang out more!"

I laughed as I headed out the door. Both boys were waving wildly behind me, their mother with her back bent in a low bow. I heard their thank-yous and goodbyes long after I was out of their sight. By the time I got back home, supper had already been eaten and Obaa-chan and Setsuko had gone to sleep. Fortunately, Yuki had saved me some leftovers and heated them up for me the minute I got in the door. I didn't tell her why I was so late in getting home. But it seems Setsuko must have told her, for she gave me a smile filled so much with admiration that I just couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

**Now, this is a chapter I'm satisfied with. I really like how Setsuko's got her own group of friends and is being a normal kid again... **

**You know, the characters of Tsuyoshi and Tamotsu, like Takeshi, are what TV Tropes calls Ascended Extras as well. Although they were only meant for their one scene in the first fic, I brought them back as Setsuko's friends... And I'm really glad I did that! Out of all the minor characters I've created for this series, these two are a couple of my favourites, because they are partially inspired by several of my little cousins. I hoped you enjoyed reading that chapter as much as I did writing it!**


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14: YUKI**

Four days passed since Seita had helped the Nakamura twins that day. As normal, Seita left for work once he was finished breakfast. As I did the regular chores with Obaa-chan and Setsuko's help I thought of those twin boys. They were older than Setsuko and going to school. It wouldn't be long before Setsuko herself would be attending. It wasn't a big building like in the city, but a small single-room school where country met city

To think that in a few months, Setsuko would be six years old. That girl was definitely growing up fast. And Seita would turn sixteen in the same month as his sister. Time had definitely flown by ever since we had come to live with Obaa-chan. I began to think of what type of birthday presents that Seita and Setsuko would like. Setsuko was easy to buy things for, for we always knew what she'd like. But what about Seita? What would he like?

"Excuse me!" A voice called outside. "Is anyone home?"

"Yuki, dear, please get the door for me, will you?" Obaa-chan asked me. I went to the door and opened it. Nakamura Kasumi stood at the doorway with her two boys on either side.

"Hiya, Miss. Sasaki!" The twins said in unison as they waved.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but is Yokokawa Seita home now?" Nakamura Kasumi asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I replied. "He left just ten minutes ago. Would you mind coming in? I'll make you some tea if you like."

"Thank-you very much, dear." Mrs. Nakamura said as she led her two boys inside.

"Hey, Setsuko!" Tamotsu exclaimed. "What's up?"

"I'm doing great, guys!" Setsuko said with a smile. "What about you? And are you feeling better, Tsuyoshi?"

"Yeah, I feel just great!" Tsuyoshi joined in. "But I'm really jealous of you, you know why? Because you have an awesome big brother and we don't!"

"Yeah!" Tamotsu added. "He's the coolest brother _**ever**_!"

"Cooler than me?" Tsuyoshi looked at his brother angrily.

"Oh, no Tsuyoshi!" Tamotsu defended himself. "_**You're**_ the coolest brother ever. It's just that Mr. Yokokawa is the coolest _**big**_ brother ever!"

"Hey, guys!" Setsuko cut in. "Wanna play jump rope? All three of us can play!"

"Yeah!" With that the three children ran outside to play. Mrs. Nakamura, Obaa-chan and I smiled after them. Then Obaa-chan and I began to prepare tea for our guest.

"Thank-you." Mrs. Nakamura said as I set the tea pot in front of her. I sat across the table from her and poured the tea into her cup. She sipped her tea and looked up at me. "The reason I have come today is that I wanted to thank Seita once more for the things he has done for my sons. Since he is not here I ask that you take this and give it to him when he comes home." She reached into her pocket and held out a few coins in the palm of her hand. "When my husband heard about what happened, he insisted that the young man gets these as his thanks."

"Oh, my..." I breathed. There was at least 100 yen! "We can't take all this ma'am..."

"I insist!" Mrs. Nakamura said. She set the coins in front of me. "One last thank-you."

We kept politely arguing back and forth until I finally gave in. I put the money in a safe place so I could give it to Seita once he came home. I smiled as I thought of my friend. There were times when he was annoying, but I knew that overall he was very kind and hardworking. And if Obaa-chan or Setsuko or I were in any danger, he would go through fire and water for us. He was a little surprised when he came home and I told him about the money, but he accepted it out of politeness.

"I can't believe the Nakamura's are so generous." Seita said during supper. "Before they seemed to have a reputation for not being the most charitable people."

"Well, maybe they've changed." I replied. "And maybe because times are starting to get better. When you think of it, none of us were truly generous a year ago. Sure, we'd help people, and they'd help us, but we'd all keep the bulk of the necessities for ourselves."

"Well, it wasn't our fault!" Seita stood up abruptly. "It wasn't like they were the only ones suffering! We couldn't afford to lose anything!"

"Exactly...!" I pointed out. Seita opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it. He sat back down and continued eating while muttering something under his breath.

"Wow." Setsuko exclaimed as she smiled at me. "Of all the arguments you have, how many have you won?"

"I think she's won almost all of them!" Obaa-chan chuckled. "Maybe starting now, we should keep track!"

"Why do you win so many arguments, Yuki?" Setsuko asked.

"It's 'cause she's female, that's why..." Seita grumbled as he ate his rice.

"And _**what**_ are you trying to say?" I glared across the table at him.

"Oh dear..." Seita said with a loud gulp.

"Ha ha!" Obaa-chan roared with laughter. "You two are just like an old married couple!"

At Obaa-chan's comment we all burst out laughing - everyone except Seita that is. He had turned bright red and was loudly protesting as we all laughed. He then gave up and continued eating, pretending nothing had happened. Then the arguments stopped and the chattering continued between Obaa-chan, Setsuko and I. Seita, however, was quiet for the rest of the night.

* * *

**I'll admit that I don't know much about yen, or how much it was worth in those times. I'm guessing that 100 yen would be a pretty significant sum back then, even if it's not much today.**


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15: SEITA**

A few months passed. Setsuko began going to school at the end of summer. The small school wasn't very far from where the Nakamura's lived. Because I usually went to work at the same time, I would drop my sister off along the way, but since I left work long past school hours, it became Yuki's job to pick her up. When we asked Setsuko what she thought, she told us she liked it because it was fun and she could make new friends.

Now although I was still of age, I never did attend school again. This wasn't unusual however, for all of the guys I worked with didn't go to school either. There were still quite a few children in the elementary schools, but not in middle or high schools. Many teenagers over the years had either stayed at home and worked or had enlisted in the army. Back when I had been attending school, many classmates talked about older brothers becoming soldiers.

Once I walked Setsuko to school, despite my day off work, I began looking in the local shops. September was coming to and end, and my sister's birthday was right at the beginning of October, on the third day. My own birthday was on the tenth of October. I wondered what my little sister would like. It wasn't that she was hard to buy for, just that there was so many things that she had asked me to get her. I went over all the items and soon picked the one I thought she'd like best - a dress as pink as cherry blossoms - the one I had guaranteed to buy her for her sixth birthday.

When the third of October came by, Setsuko was excited to see what her presents were. Yuki and Obaa-chan had also bought small gifts for her. Obaa-chan's gift was a pair of new shoes that matched the colour of the dress I had bought her. Yuki's gift was another Kokeshi doll with a kimono as blue as the sky. When she saw her new doll, she immediately put it right next to her other one and named it Miss Suzume.

"Well, Setsuko," Yuki said. "Now Miss Asami will have a friend too!"

"Yeah, you're right!" Setsuko smiled. "Thank-you very much, Yuki!"

"Okay, Setsuko! Wanna see my present for you?" I said as I showed her the pink dress.

"Oh, wow!" My little sister brightened up as she saw her dress. "It's so pretty! Arigatou, Nii-chan! Ookini! Can I put it on now?"

"Of course you can, dear." Obaa-chan said. "And how be you put on your shoes too? I'm sure they'll look very nice together!"

"Okay, okay I will!" Setsuko practically grabbed the dress out of my hand. Then she picked up her new shoes and ran into the bedroom. The three of us all looked at each other and chuckled. Three minutes later my sister ran into the room and danced around wearing her pink shoes and dress. We all admired how nice she looked.

"My, my you look so pretty, Setsuko!"

"That's right! That colour really suits you!"

"Why don't you wear them to school today? Then you can show off to your friends!"

Setsuko grinned from ear to ear at my suggestion. As I walked her to school that morning she skipped along the path in front of me. Her friends and teacher also complimented her new outfit. When I came home that night I saw Setsuko had a good day at school. Her friends had given her their birthday wishes and let her decide what games to play at recess. Seeing my now six-year-old sister so happy made me happy as well.

Exactly a week after Setsuko's birthday, my own birthday came along. We all woke up a little earlier that morning so I could be given my present. Yuki led me out the back door of the house where Obaa-chan and Setsuko were waiting. It seems my present was hidden behind a nearby bush. I closed my eyes on Yuki's instruction. When I opened them I saw a faded green bicycle in front of me.

"Oh wow... This..." I inspected the bike. It definitely wasn't new. Its paint was peeled and it was slightly rusty, but I didn't care about looks. In fact, it looked like this bike was sturdy enough to last quite a while yet. "This is so cool, guys. Thank you very much. I'll try it out now!"

"Seita, wait!" Obaa-chan called. "Mr. Suzuki was the one who sold us the bike. How be you ride in his direction and thank him!"

"Alright! I'll do that!" I led the bike down to the road, jumped on and off I went. Yuki, Setsuko and Obaa-chan waved as I headed for Mr. Suzuki's house.

Mr. Suzuki was a fairly kind man who lived on his own down the road from us. He was the closest neighbour who owned a bath so people often stopped by at his place to get cleaned up. When I saw Mr. Suzuki he was just leaving for work.

"Hey, Mr. Suzuki!" I called as I waved from the road. "Thanks a lot for the bike! She works like a charm!"

Mr. Suzuki smiled and waved back. "No problem, son! It's the least I could do! So you're happy with it?"

"I sure am! Thanks again!"

After waving again to Mr. Suzuki I rode down the road some more. Soon I turned around and headed home, pedalling at full speed. I couldn't remember the last time I had been on a bike, but it had definitely been a few years. Even so, I could still ride pretty well. It felt so good being as fast as the wind. Racing up and down a hill, it felt as if the bike would suddenly soar into the air like a bird, and I whooped as loud as I possibly could.

By the time I got home it was time to head to work and take Setsuko to school. I decided that I would ride my bike to get there. My sister was delighted as she climbed on the bike in front of me. As we went this way and that down the roads she'd tell me to pedal faster. The wind blew through her short hair and we both laughed all the way to the small school building. Once Setsuko was in the school I set off for work.

The guys I worked with had much to say about my bike. Daisuke told me he was jealous of me for having one. Yoichi told him that it was just a bike and no big deal. Takeshi took one look at the bike and said it was a piece of junk. He later apologized for his comment and told me he actually thought it was really cool. The others made similar comments.

I felt happy to have such a nice practical birthday present. I remembered that Yuki's birthday was next and decided I wanted to get something nice for her too. Suddenly it hit me, and suddenly I knew just what to get my friend. I remembered way back to when she once mentioned something she had always wanted, yet never been able to afford. The more I thought about it the better the idea seemed. Yuki's birthday was a few months away, therefore I had plenty of time to save up some money. As the sun set, I happily whistled as I rode home.

* * *

**Well, first off, I realize the inaccuracy of Setsuko going to school in September, instead of in the spring like they normally do in Japan. Maybe that particular school doesn't follow the norm...**

**Also, Seita's birth date of October 10 isn't some random date I chose. It's also Nosaka Akiyuki's (The "real" Seita's) birthday. I also remember hearing that one of his sister's birthdays had been on October 3rd, although I could be wrong.**

**My prayers go to the victims of the earthquakes in China, New Zealand, Japan, and anywhere else that earthquakes and/or tsunamis have struck recently.**


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16: YUKI**

Not long after his sixteenth birthday, Seita began working much harder than normal. Long after the other boys had gone home he would stay and do any extra work that could be done. Because of this he began earning a little more money than normal. But he also got a little more exhausted. Many mornings as he left I would tell him to come home at the normal time. Sometimes he listened, and sometimes he didn't.

Every one of us became a little concerned about Seita. We were all curious as to why he was working so hard and why all of a sudden. Whenever any of us asked him he would simply smile and tell us there was no reason. Of course, no one was stupid enough to believe him. This continued on for about three months. Then suddenly the extra work stopped and he went back to his normal schedule. This confused us even further, but Seita simply told us we'd find out later.

Soon it was the beginning of January 1947. The landscape looked dull once again. But during the nighttime we would all look up at the sky to see the pretty stars. And during the daytime on clear days the sky was as blue as it could get. This made up for the dull brown grass and bare empty crop fields.

"Say, Yuki," Seita said to me one day on a weekend. "It's around the time of my mother's birthday again. Setsuko and I are going to visit her grave. Would you want to come with us?"

I was a little surprised. I rarely accompanied the siblings to their mother's grave site, because it was more of a personal matter for the two of them. Nevertheless, I accepted Seita's invitation. Before leaving, the three of us prepared some food to give as an offering. I asked Obaa-chan if it was alright if I could go with them. She told me she'd be alright alone, and that I needed to get out of the house anyway.

"How's about we all ride my bike?" Seita suggested.

I hesitated. "Are you sure it's safe, Seita?"

"Of course it is. Setsuko and I have had no problem. Right, Setsuko?"

"He's right, Yuki. We can all fit if we tried!"

"Alright, alright! I believe you!" I laughed. "Just let me change into my work pants, okay? I don't want to risk ruining my skirt." After changing into my pants I met the siblings outside and got on the bike behind Seita.

"You holding tight, Yuki? All set?" Seita asked with a smile. I nodded in response. "Then off we go!" He began to pedal. My friend seemed to be putting all his strength into it, but the bike was going very slowly.

"Are you sure it's okay?" I asked with concern. "Should I get off?"

"No, stay on. I can do this!" Seita kept pedalling with all his might until we got to the slope of the small hill we lived on. The bike began to go faster as it went downhill. It now seemed that Seita was warmed up and steering the bike nicely.

"You did it, Nii-chan!" Setsuko exclaimed from her place in front of her brother. "Are you okay now?"

"Yep! Thanks, Setsuko!" He then began to sing the song of the Japanese Imperial Navy. "Mighty fortresses floating on the sea! Defending our homeland from invaders near and far!"

"Stop that!" I yelled. "Of all the songs in this world, why do you have to sing _**that **_one, huh? Why is it always a war song? Sing something else!"

"Okay..." Seita thought for a few seconds than began to sing a different song. His voice was deep and solemn, as it was a sad song.

Cherry blossoms gracefully bloom o'er the fields that lie, High up is the castle wall, where have warriors gone? Where is the moonlight that brightly shone up high, Shone upon the warriors who drained the glasses dry?

After singing the first verse he cleared his throat. "How was that?"

"Better. But isn't that a song a little sad?"

"Well, then _**you**_ pick a song if you don't like it!"

"Guys! Don't argue!" Setsuko cried. "I can pick a song to sing." Both Seita and I quieted down and let Setsuko pick a song. After thinking about it she began to sing.

Spring is coming, spring is coming, Where is spring right now? Here in the mountains, Here in the village, And here in the fields.

"Why do you sing that song?" Seita asked his sister. "It's nowhere close to spring yet."

"Because I like that song. What's wrong with it?"

"Um... Nothing..." Seita turned red when I began to laugh at him. He didn't join us at first as Setsuko and I continued with the song. But after some encouragement, he finally did join in. We sang all the way to the place where Seita and Setsuko had buried their mother's ashes.

Once we were at the top of the hill the three of us became silent. We kneeled down in front of the marker and bowed a few times. Then we each said a prayer, starting with Setsuko. The six-year-old solemnly had her head bowed as she spoke. "This is the offering we have made for you, Mommy." She said as she placed the food in front of the marker. "Nii-chan and Yuki and me made them. We hope you like them and that you are happy where you are. Thank-you."

"It's been over a year that we've been without you, Mother." Seita said with his head bowed. "But Setsuko and I are doing fine and we are living well. Even so, we still miss you." Once he was finished speaking he put his hat back on and began to stand up.

"Wait!" I told him. "May I say something too?" Seita sat back down and motioned me to go ahead. I put my hands together and bowed my head.

"Mrs. Yokokawa... I know I never really met you, but from what Seita and Setsuko say, you were really good to them. So thank-you very much. As Seita has told you, we are all fine. I'll try my best to look after these two and keep them out of trouble..."

As I spoke I felt eyes on me. I turned to see Seita gazing at me with a subtle, kind smile. He immediately reddened and looked away. I chuckled at his desperate attempt to compose himself. Setsuko was struggling to hide her giggles, making her brother turn an even deeper shade of red. Pretending to ignore them, I bowed once more before the grave and stood up.

Seita and Setsuko kneeled at the grave for five more seconds and stood up with me. "Say guys, how about we go into town and eat lunch before we head home." Seita smiled. "I'll even buy us some treats if I can afford it!"

"Oh, really?" I exclaimed. "It's been so long since I've eaten in town! Thank-you!"

We wandered around town for a bit, enjoying the sights. Thanks to construction groups like Seita's, many more houses had been built in the past year. Most of them were occupied by now. We passed many of these new houses until we found a nice restaurant to eat in. It felt nice to eat somewhere other than home for once. Once we were finished eating we looked around in the local shops, where Seita bought his sister's still much loved fruit drops.

Despite the dull weather, the day turned out to be a nice one. There was no more arguing as we all rode home on Seita's bike. We all laughed and sang some more on the way, enjoying the happy times we were sharing together.

* * *

**I do not own any of the songs the characters sing in this chapter. You can find the first song Seita briefly sings on Youtube if you search "Imperial Japanese Navy marching song." The second song is an English translation of the traditional folk song "The Moon Over the Ruined Castle." You can find that one (the Japanese version) on youtube as well. You can find the tune for the third song on Youtube if you search Haru ga kita (Spring has come). I hope you like listening to them as well as I hope you like reading this. Thank you!**


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17: SEITA**

After dropping Setsuko off at school one day in April I headed to work as normal. But one thing I did that was different, was going a different route than normal. This was so I could pass by a certain shop and take a look in it. I had worked harder for three months to get enough money to buy that nice present for Yuki. Now I had just the right amount of cash, but there were so many varieties of the item in mind, I didn't know which one to get. During these times I would look around the shop once in a while to see which one would suit her most.

This happened so often that whenever I passed by the shop, one of the owners would notice me and wave. The minute I'd walk in they didn't even have to ask "How may I help you?" for they had known for a month what I had my eye on. They would show me the various things they had in stock. I didn't know much about girls, but I did know they liked pretty things. It came to the point when I'd constantly ask myself,_** What would Yuki say about this or that? Would she like it or not? **_

I slowed my pace as I came near that little shop. When I peered in the window, I saw that a new stock must have come in, for there were more items on display. The shopkeeper and his wife stood at the counter dealing with a customer. They both noticed me and waved. The shop keeper made a motion to me to stay where I was and went back to seeing to their customer. I waited outside the shop for a few minutes, pacing around. I hoped it wouldn't take long, as I was running late for work.

Fortunately I didn't have to wait for long, for the shopkeeper came outside once the customer left. "Sorry for the wait, young man!" He smiled as he walked over to me. He was a short man in his sixties, wearing typical shopkeeper's clothing. Looking inside the window he said, "Well, as you can see, we've got a new stock. Come in and take a look! I know you have to get to work, so we'll be quick about it."

After a quick minute of browsing I hopped on my bike and rode away. As I headed down the road the shopkeeper and his wife waved and commented on how caring and polite I seemed. I pedalled my bike as fast as I could and just barely made it in time. My friends began asking what the heck was making me run late, as I was usually on time.

"It's cause he's getting a present for _**Yuki**_...!" Takeshi teased.

"What's that gotta do with being late for work?" Daisuke asked. "I mean, I can understand why working longer hours would get him more money, but why would being late for work help anything?"

"Whoa, Daisuke, take it easy." Takeshi said cooly. "Since it seems Seita doesn't want to talk about it, let's just sit back and I'll answer your questions!"

"Oh! So this is like some weird kind of 'Story Time' like when we were kids, right?"

"That's right."

"Hey!" The group leader called from a distance. "No Story Time! Just Work Time! Don't you kids know you can multi-task? As in working and chit-chatting at the same time?"

We all groaned and followed our loud-mouthed group leader's instructions. Much to my annoyance, Takeshi babbled on and on about my plan. As we all worked, everyone was quiet and listening intently to Takeshi's "story." As my pathetic excuse for a friend continued on, the other guys would turn to me and smirk. By the time Takeshi was finished, every one of them looked at me that way, obviously to mock me.

"Hmm..." Yoichi pondered. "Let's see... A guy works his ass off to earn enough money to buy something for a girl. Then he goes by the store so often, the people there probably every single detail about not only his life, but the girl's life too! And that could only mean one thing and one thing only..."

I groaned, rolled my eyes and covered my ears. The dreaded moment was here. Though I couldn't hear what the guys were saying, it was obvious they were teasing me mercilessly. Finally, Takeshi grabbed my arm, removed my hand from my ear and shouted the very **words I did not want to hear...**

"You're sweet on her, Romeo!"

"Yeah! And you've got a nasty case of it!"

"No guys!" I yelled. "You've got it all wrong!"

"So that's why he wanted us to keep away from her! He wanted her for himself!"

As they continued teasing me, my face got redder and I felt angrier. Those idiots were completely out of their minds, not to mention that they were ten times worse than girls when it game to gossiping. I only saw Yuki as a friend. A much better friend than these morons who stood before me. It was just that Yuki had been so caring for my sister and I since the day we met. I felt I had to do something to repay her kindness, as any good person would.

I tried to ignore them and continue hammering floorboards, but without success. I was hammering so hard I accidentally hit my thumb, making me scream in pain. It didn't take very long for my anger to get the best of me.

"Will you guys just _**shut up?!"**_ I yelled. I glared at all of them. They each slowly stopped laughing and teasing. Hiroshi looked around him and walked toward me.

"Well guys," Hiroshi addressed everyone. "Whether he likes her or not, I think he's had enough. Besides, don't some of you guys have girlfriends? I don't think any of you would want to be bothered about such a personal thing!"

"Whoo! That's my Hiroshi!" A female voice called. A girl who I assumed was Hiroshi's girlfriend was waving wildly along with her friends. Hiroshi waved back, then looked back at the guys, who were now heading back to work.

"See? None of you are teasing me, are ya?"

"Damn that stick-in-the-mud Hiroshi..." some of the guys whispered amongst themselves. "Does he really feel the need to deliver an Aesop for every little thing we do?"

"Are you kids still telling stories?" The group leader yelled from a distance away. "Get back to work! You're all gonna be the death of me!"

It was quite a while before the guys thought of teasing me again. Soon April became May, and Yuki's birthday was just around the corner. The day beforehand I went back to that little shop on the edge of town. As I walked in, the shopkeeper and his wife welcomed me warmly like always. I told them that I had come to make my decision on what to buy. I looked around carefully for many minutes until I found the perfect thing.

"That's a lovely choice, young man!" The shopkeeper's wife exclaimed. "I'm sure that girl is going to love it!"

"Oh, yes." The shopkeeper added. "And she's also very lucky to have someone like you that cares for her so much. Here, I'll put it in a bag for you..."

"Um... Wait, sir..." I interrupted. "Can you do me one last favour? I'm not going to take it with me right now. Could you keep it in your storage room overnight? I'll come to pick it up in the morning."

"Sure thing, young man. I'll do that and keep it safe in here for ya."

"What time do you open on Saturdays?"

"About 8:00 a.m."

"Okay!" I could barely contain my excitement. "I'll be here at 7:30!" I practically skipped out of the shop and hopped on my bike. "7:30 on the dot! I can't thank you two enough! I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Bye!" With those words I zoomed away on my bike down the street.

This morning I had told Yuki that I could pick Setsuko up after school. After getting permission from our group leader I had left work early, stopping by the shop along the way. Now I had to go pick up my sister. With overwhelming excitement still in me I gave a loud whoop as I pedalled down the road at full speed. With all these thoughts in my head I almost forgot to stop as I passed Setsuko's school.

"Hi, Nii-chan!" Setsuko yelled as she ran up to me. She held some pieces of paper up to my face. "Look at what I've drawn for Yuki's birthday!"

I looked at the crayon drawings. They were pictures of who I assumed was Yuki and Setsuko playing together. My sister seemed to be getting better at art every day. I ruffled her hair, making her giggle. "My, Setsuko! You're turning out to be quite the little artist! Maybe you can draw a picture later of Yuki with the present I'm getting her."

"What are you getting her?" Setsuko asked excitedly. I looked around to make sure no one was listening and whispered in her ear. My sister's expression was priceless. "Wow! That's so cool! Yuki's gonna have the best birthday ever!"

"Well, she is turning sixteen. Isn't it supposed to be that way for girls or something?"

"Yep!" Setsuko exclaimed happily. "So when are you going to give it to her?"

"Hmm... I've been thinking about it for quite a while. You and her are going shopping tomorrow, right?"

"That's right."

"Well, while you're out I'll sneak it into the house. But then we need to get her to come back quickly. What to do..."

"Yeah, Nii-chan, what will you do?"

I thought for a minute, until it came to me. "Aha! I've got it!" I put my hands on my sister's shoulders. "Okay, Setsuko. This is very important, so listen to me closely. This will be the first and only time in your life I am _**ever**_ going to encourage you to be a pickpocket. So listen! Here's what you've gotta do..."


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18: YUKI**

Even though it was my sixteenth birthday, daily chores don't like to make exceptions. But surprisingly, as I was making breakfast, Seita was already heading out the door.

"Seita! Why are you leaving so early? Can't you at least have breakfast first?"

"I'm sorry, Yuki." Seita apologized as he put on his coat and hat. "The group leader wants me there early."

"Someone has to talk to that man!" I exclaimed furiously. "You're going to be hungry without breakfast! And one cannot work without proper nourishment! And I do-!"

"Yuki, calm down! I'll be alright." Seita interrupted. "Besides, there's nothing that can be done about it."

"Alright..." I sighed. I opened the cupboard and took out a small loaf of bread and put it into Seita's hand. "If you're not going to have breakfast, at least eat this along the way. And don't you dare refuse! You can be a little too proud at times and I... I worry about you..."

Seita turned to me and smiled gently. "Thanks, Yuki..." He eventually turned away and put on his boots. "Well, I'd best be on my way." He began to walk out the door, but then he turned back to look at me with another grin. "By the way, Happy Sixteenth!" With that, he hopped onto his bike and rode off down the path.

Not long after Seita left, Setsuko and Obaa-chan were awake and eating their breakfast. Then Setsuko and I got dressed and left to go shopping, while Obaa-chan stayed to do some chores. We both breathed in the nice smells of the flowers, thankful the day was not rainy. In fact, the weather was the most beautiful we'd seen in quite a while. There were a few puffy clouds in the sky and the birds sang in the green trees. Everyone we passed along the road seemed as happy as we were.

"Umm... Yuki?" Setsuko asked not long after we left. "Are you sure we're going to have enough money to buy things?"

"Of course we are, Setsuko!" I chuckled. I took out my small purse from my pocket and opened it. "I've got about..." I took out the money from my purse and looked at it. Then I quickly looked in the purse again and saw there was no more. "What...? There's not enough in here! That's strange... I could have sworn I had enough... How careless of me! We'd better go back, Setsuko. There's still plenty of time in the day left."

We both turned around and began heading back home. What was going on? It was never like me to forget things, and I was sure I had put enough in before I left. Maybe my worrying about Seita had made me more careless. _**Yes, maybe that was it**_, I thought as Setsuko and I walked through the door. But why did I have to worry about him so much? _**Why? Do I really care about him that much...?**_

As I stepped into the main bedroom my thoughts suddenly went blank. Something light blue was placed on my bed. When I looked closely, I saw that it was obviously a piece of clothing that had been folded. I heard footsteps and looked behind me to see Obaa-chan and Setsuko standing at the door smiling.

"What is this...?" I asked in a whisper.

"See for yourself...!" Obaa-chan insisted.

I lifted up the fabric and gasped. It was a kimono. A dazzling light-blue kimono with a white flower pattern along the sleeves and bottom. It also had a dark blue obi sash and collar. I held it up gently, as I was afraid that it would tear at the slightest touch. This was the first time I had ever even touched a kimono, as my family couldn't afford them for my sisters and me.

All the while I was speechless. I could only ask where it had come from. When Setsuko excitedly told me Seita had bought it for me I was in awe. By the time Obaa-chan explained that he had been working since _**October**_ in order to buy it I was in a daze. Soon it seemed that everything in the room disappeared except for that beautiful, lovely kimono. I stared and admired it with the most overwhelming happiness I had felt in such a long time.

Obaa-chan's hand on my shoulder finally brought me back to earth. "Well, why don't you put it on?" She asked with a kind smile. She began to chuckle. "Seita didn't buy it for you just so you could look at it!"

"Yeah!" Setsuko exclaimed. "You can wear it while we go shopping!"

I smiled at the two of them. "Yes.." My voice was barely more than a whisper. "I suppose you're right. I also need to thank someone for this wonderful gift...!"

Putting on kimonos can take quite a while, yet I was very patient as Obaa-chan assisted me. Setsuko found the hairpin that was my birthday present from last year and helped me put it in my hair. It perfectly matched my new kimono. Then Obaa-chan led me over to the mirror. I never thought I would ever look into a mirror and see a beautiful girl in a kimono I believed was fit for a princess. But that was what I saw, and I was still very happy.

"I bet you're going to knock all the boys dead!" Obaa-chan laughed.

"Oh, I sure hope I don't!" I laughed with her. "Especially Seita! He's done so much for me, so it would be a shame if he died before I could thank him!"

"Umm... Yuki?" I turned around to see Setsuko reach into her pockets and take out a pile of coins. "Here's your money back... Taking it was the only way to get you back to the house..."

"Why you sneaky little pickpocket!" I laughed as I put my hands on my hips and shook my head. "Oh, well... Since you had good intentions, I'll let you off the hook this time...!"

Setsuko and I walked along the streets of Kobe, passing various shops and marketplaces. On one street, a shopkeeper had called out to me and asked if I had just received that kimono. When I told him I did, he replied that I was very lucky to have a friend like that nice young man who had bought it from him. A woman I assumed was his wife commented on how lovely I looked and that the young man must really know me well to know what suits me. Then they both wished me a happy birthday and waved. Setsuko and I waved back as we continued on our way.

After we finished shopping, we searched around for Seita's construction group. It turns out he was just down the street, so we headed that way. Once we got there a boy noticed us and called out to Seita, who turned to look at me from his place on the rooftop. At first he just stared at me with his eyebrows raised, then his mouth slowly formed into a smile. As Setsuko and I walked towards them, Seita climbed down the ladder and was escorted - as in pushed - by his friends until he stood in front of me. Other than a loud nervous gulp from Seita, everyone was silent until I spoke.

"Seita... I want to say thank-you for this wonderful kimono... I... I really don't know what else to say other than... Thank-you..." I smiled at him until I found the right words. "It was very thoughtful of you to buy such a thing for me. And you must have worked so hard...!"

"Yuki...!" Seita took a step toward me. "I did work hard. I worked very hard to buy that kimono for you. It's my way of thanking _**you**_...! For all this time, you've done so much for my sister and I. Countless times you've gone out of your way to see that we were in good health. I didn't think it was right that you do all this without being repaid in some way...!"

Seita closed his eyes and made a bow at the waist. Everyone remained silent at his gesture of respect. Still bowing, he said, "I'm very happy to see you like it. And like I said, this is my way of saying that I appreciate everything you do..." I felt touched by his words. At first I didn't know what to do, but then I did. I slowly leaned over and kissed his cheek.

At that moment, Seita opened his eyes and cautiously stood up straight again before staggering back a few steps. His eyes were widened and his mouth gaped. Behind me, Setsuko began to giggle. Takeshi began to laugh, only to have another boy called Hiroshi cover his mouth. Those who weren't laughing seemed to having a general awkward feeling, due to the fact that at the time, even a kiss on the cheek was nearly unheard of in public. Poor Seita looked like a fish gasping for air, for his mouth kept opening as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. In short, he was absolutely dumbfounded.

Upon seeing Seita's reaction I felt a little embarrassed myself. Meanwhile, Setsuko continued to laugh at her brother's priceless expression. He now had an amusing lopsided grin and a hand on his cheek. The other boys began to chuckle, either out of amusement themselves or just plain awkwardness. Even Takeshi had quieted down. I turned to Seita and smiled sweetly. He put a hand on the back of his neck and looked away.

"Now what are you all doing, ah?" A voice yelled. I turned around to see a large man walking toward us. This must be Seita's group leader. "What are you all standing around for? Get back to work!"

"Yes, boss!" The boys all said at once. They immediately scattered and hurried back to their jobs. Everyone except Seita that is. The group leader went up to him and shook him.

"You too, boy! Back to work!" Seita was shoved in the direction of the ladder leading up to the rooftop of the half-finished house. By now he had somewhat snapped out of his shock and scurried up the ladder back to his job. Nonetheless, this was not before he smiled blissfully and waved goodbye to Setsuko and I.

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**I'll admit, I think this chapter is pretty cheesy, but it's a cute kind of cheesy, so I guess that can be a good thing.**


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER 19: SEITA**

If I could tell you how the rest of the day was, I would. But I can't, because I was so absorbed in my own thoughts, I wasn't aware of anything around me. Sure, I would do my regular jobs, but since I was used to routine, I could work and think at the same time. If you ask anyone who had been around that day, they'd probably tell you I was walking in a daze the entire time. Occasionally I'd completely stop what I was I doing and stare into space. Then someone would have to nudge me to get me going again.

For the rest of that afternoon, I kept replaying the recent events in my head. My head had been bowed and my eyes closed. I had felt that warm touch on my cheek, and that warmth had immediately spread throughout my entire body within seconds. Then I had suddenly felt dizzy and struggled to keep myself balanced. It was so strange! It was like I was having some sort of sickness that made you feel just awful, yet nice at the same time.

Supper was on the table when I got home, as normal. But I didn't have the courage to look Yuki directly in the eyes. I didn't know what it was, I just couldn't. Whenever she looked at me I would try not to meet her gaze. Setsuko seemed to notice this and kept giggling whenever this happened. I would then give my sister a look that warned her to keep quiet. Obaa-chan also seemed to notice this, but she didn't say anything. While there was the normal suppertime chatter, none of us mentioned anything about the day's events - not even the kimono.

I couldn't sleep that night. Those tormenting thoughts just kept bothering me for hours on end. What was wrong with me? Why did Yuki kiss me earlier? Was it because she... liked me? Why did I react the way I did? And how come none of the guys teased me about it? Did they actually feel sorry for me?

The kimono I had bought for Yuki was folded up in the corner of the room. When I had looked in that small shop and saw that particular blue one, I knew it would suit her perfectly. It was only a casual kimono, but the way she reacted it was as if it was something an emperor's daughter would wear. When I had seen her walking toward me wearing it, I thought she looked very nice. No... the word "nice" was a major understatement. After five minutes of hard thinking, only one word remained in my head... _**beautiful**_.

As much as I didn't want to think that way, I did. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I did. Yuki had looked beautiful wearing that kimono. I sat up on my bed and looked over my sister to where Yuki slept. Her mouth was curved in a smile and she looked very peaceful and angelic. And that's when I realized with a shock that Yuki had always been beautiful, even without the kimono.

Instantly a warm sort of chill shot through my body - and it terrified me. And the questions kept coming. What was wrong with me? Why was I thinking of Yuki this way? Was it because I liked her or something? I mean, I knew I liked her, but did I like her in that way? Who knows? The voices of my friends at work began to echo in my head.

"_**You're sweet on her, Romeo!"**_

"_**Yeah! And you've got a nasty case of it!" **_

"_**So that's why he wanted us to keep away from her! He wanted her for himself!"**_

I thought about it some more. I had always admired Yuki's kindness. She always went out of her way to help those who needed it, despite her own problems. She had brought me my lunch when I forgot it. She stayed at my side when I was sick. And she was always concerned for my well-being - much like how she had been this morning.

Maybe the guys were right. Maybe I did have feelings for Yuki. My reason for buying the kimono for her had been to repay her kindness, but maybe that was only part of it. The other part of it was that I had wanted to see her happy. Her family had never been able to afford a kimono when she was young, and I wanted for her to have one to call her own. I had wanted to see her smile, and know that it was because of my own efforts.

I laid back down on my bed, smiling as I stared at the ceiling. I was no longer in shock, but completely calm and serene. But I still had to keep myself from laughing aloud. For all this time, I had been too proud - and too stupid - to admit that I had feelings for Yuki. Now I wholly accepted and embraced the fact that I was hopelessly infatuated with her.

And who knows? Maybe she felt the same way. After all, she did kiss me. I remembered how I had felt when it happened. Then I touched my cheek and smiled, desperately trying not to giggle like a young child. Waking up the whole house would not be such a good thing to do. After finally calming down, I breathed in deeply though my nose, and exhaled through my mouth as I closed my eyes in sleep.

For the next few days, things were normal as if nothing had happened. Yuki would be up before us preparing breakfast. I would ride Setsuko to school and head for work while Obaa-chan and Yuki stayed home and did the chores. The guys at work teased me about what had happened between Yuki and I, but I came to tolerate it. Then as the sun set I headed home to where a delicious supper was waiting on the table. Then we would all turn in for the night.

A week after what was later called "The Kimono Incident," Yuki and Setsuko went shopping for the necessities like normal. Although the guys and I had been repositioned in another area of town, they still searched around until they found us so they could say hi to me. I now had the job of working on the roof, replacing Daisuke (the group leader finally decided that he was too dangerous to have that job, so he made us switch places). When I saw them I waved from my place and said hi. Yuki gave one of the guys a bit of food to pass on to me. Then they both continued on their way.

Suddenly Takeshi gave a loud wolf-whistle beside me, then quickly went back to what he was doing. Both Yuki and Setsuko heard the noise and looked back at us. The other guys caught on to what Takeshi was trying to do and all pointed at me. I looked down at the lot of them and then at Yuki, who was chuckling quietly. I decided to just go along with it and waved with a huge grin, only to knock over a bucket of nails. I dived and caught it before it fell over the edge.

"Wow, Seita! You've definitely taken Daisuke's job!" Takeshi laughed.

At Takeshi's comment, all the guys laughed with him. Blushing, I looked back at Yuki and my sister. Setsuko was doubled over with laughter, and Yuki was smiling as she giggled with her. With a nervous chuckle, I grinned and shrugged as I went back to work. The guys were a little surprised that I didn't get mad at any of them for their teasing. Like I said, I now tolerated it, and now they were feeling down in the dumps because they couldn't make me angry anymore.

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**I am hoping you guys like this, as this is the first time I've tried to write a story with romance in it.**


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20: YUKI**

During the later days in the month of May, the rainy season came again. Every morning, Seita would ride Setsuko to school on his bike. Setsuko used her brother's coat to shelter her from the rain. Then I would worry that Seita would be drenched and come home with a cold. After a while, Obaa-chan became accustomed to me constantly voicing my worries.

"You really do care about them..." Obaa-chan smiled as she helped me put away dishes. "But I also think that your feelings for Seita have been changing, isn't that right...?"

"Obaa-chan!" I blushed. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh goodness gracious! Calm down, child!" Obaa-chan laughed. "I'm just saying that you seem to be more concerned about that boy than ever before. And so is he for you as a matter of fact! If I didn't know better, I'd think the two of you were smitten with each other!"

"Obaa-chan, please stop...!" I felt myself get redder by the second. But Obaa-chan just kept talking.

"As a matter of fact, I don't think - I know. I've seen how you look at each other. Both of you have that obvious smile that says it all. Even little Setsuko knows! Now tell me I am correct. Is that how things are for you? You like Seita, don't you?"

I inattentively set down the bowl I had been scrubbing and stared straight ahead. I didn't really know how to answer. Obaa-chan's question was rather embarrassing, but there didn't seem to be any harm in answering honestly. Still blushing, I nodded slowly with a smile. Obaa-chan chuckled and told me I had nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, she had been hoping that things would turn out this way. According to her, we'd make a nice couple.

The rainy weather stopped for a few days and occasionally the sky was blue with white puffy clouds. One cloudy Sunday, I sat on a rock in the backyard and watched as Setsuko played with her toys on the porch. Behind her I could see Obaa-chan talking to Seita in the living room as they sat across from each other. Seita appeared to be worried about something and Obaa-chan was reassuring him. Then he stood up, put on his hat and came out into the backyard. After saying hello to his sister, he kept walking until he stood in front of me.

"Um... Hi, Yuki." Seita uttered. "How... How are you?"

"I'm fine." I replied. "Yourself?"

"I'm fine. Listen..." Seita suddenly looked back at Obaa-chan, who gave an encouraging nod and smile. With a nervous expression he turned back to me and continued. "As you know it's my day off, so... I was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere with me."

"Go somewhere?"

"Yeah... Like go have some lunch, see some sights. That kind of stuff."

"Oh, okay!" I smiled. "I'd better go tell Setsuko to -"

"No!" Seita interrupted. He looked over at his occupied sister then back at me. "Not Setsuko..." He said in a quiet voice. "Just us, okay...? You and me?"

I smiled again and nodded. "Alright. It's fine with me!"

"Great!" Seita smiled back. "I'll go get the bike ready."

"Are you sure it's gonna be okay?" I asked five minutes later as I got on the bike. "The clouds look like they're going to pour rain any minute!"

"Oh, I think we'll be fine." Seita replied. "Hold on tight, okay?"

"How come I can't come?" Setsuko asked from the front porch.

"I think they want to be on their own, Setsuko." Obaa-chan said beside her. "But how about we take a break from chores today? We can play games and tell stories while they're out, okay?" She turned to Seita and I and waved. "Have fun, you two!"

"We will!" Seita waved back. He began to pedal. "Alright, Yuki! Here we go!"

I was careful to hold on tight as the bike went down the hill. By now Seita was pedalling at a steady pace. We rode towards the park where Setsuko sometimes played with friends. A month earlier, the trees were bursting with blossoms, but they had since fallen off and been replaced with green leaves. As we rode down the small path that went through the park, we passed the Nakamura family as they were heading home. Seita stopped the bike and we talked for a minute or so before continuing on our way.

"So, Seita..." I said as we left the park. "Where are we going to eat?"

"Well, there's a restaurant that's just opened down the street. Why don't we try there?"

"Sure!"

After a while, we made it to the place Seita had mentioned. We walked in the door just in time, for it started to rain outside. Seita, surprisingly, gave me the menu to look at first.

"You mean you're letting me decide what I eat?" I asked. "I thought the man had to choose everything."

"Go on and have what you want. It's fine by me."

"Okay. I'll have... this."

"Lets see?" Seita looked at what I was pointing at. "Hmm... Looks good. I think I'll try that too!" I gave him an annoyed look. "What...?"

As the two of us ate, the rain kept falling outside. I wondered how we were going to make it back home in this weather. When I asked him, Seita told me not to worry, as we needed to buy a new umbrella to replace our old one anyway. We would do that once we were finished lunch. Our stomachs were full by the time we were done eating. Then we left the restaurant and headed for another shop that was close by.

Inside the shop, Seita looked at the different umbrellas and other things on sale. I looked at the types of jewellery hanging from the wall. Suddenly a particular necklace caught my eye. As I looked at it, I had to keep myself from crying. It looked exactly like a necklace my mother used to wear, one that Father had bought her before he left to fight in the war. I held it up to my face and stared at the beautiful green beads with a sad smile.

"I'll take this umbrella, please, sir." Seita's voice interrupted my thoughts. He looked over at me and back to the shopkeeper. "I'll take that necklace too. How much is it?"

Despite all my protests, Seita insisted that he buy the necklace for me. It was almost as if he sensed what I felt when I had seen it. I felt bittersweet at this - sad that I had to be reminded of such painful memories, but pleased that this new necklace would create new and happy ones. The second we left the shop I put it on. Seita blushed as he complimented how nice it looked on me. Then his smile faded when he looked at the umbrella and then his bike.

"Okay... We've got a problem."

"What's wrong?"

"Well, we've got the umbrella now, but who's gonna hold it while we ride the bike? I can't because I've got to hold onto the bars. And you can't because you've gotta hold onto me. What to do...?"

A thought came to me and I began to laugh. "You could clench it between your teeth!"

"Are you sure that would work?" Seita teased. His eyes and smile were filled with mischief. "If I were to clench the handle between my teeth, I'd have to turn my head sideways like so for the umbrella to shelter us!" With a silly expression he turned his head as close to a right angle as he possibly could. "Then I wouldn't be able to see very well and it would cause an accident, and I sure wouldn't want you to get hurt, Yuki!"

At my friend's words I pretended to be angry with him. "Oh, be quiet!" I grabbed the umbrella from his hands and playfully whacked him with it. But it was all in vain, for he continued to laugh hysterically.

"Oh god, Yuki! I think I'm gonna die from laughing so hard!"

"That wouldn't be good! Who's going to take me home if you die?"

We continued to laugh for about a minute straight. Once we were finished we both leaned against a wall gasping for air, our faces red. After we finally calmed down, we decided to walk home, one of us leading the bike, the other holding the umbrella. Seita and I sang a children's song about rain as we headed towards home. Then the clouds gave way and the sun shone through and made everything around us look golden. It was shining and beautiful.

Upon our arrival at home, Setsuko ran out of the house toward us, Obaa-chan following behind. Both of them excitedly asked how everything went. Seita and I looked at each other, smiled, and told them that we had a great time. Then we all went inside and ate the supper that Setsuko and Obaa-chan had prepared. The six-year old was very proud of herself when we told her we liked it. It was a great way to end a great day.


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER 21: SEITA**

Both Yuki and I agreed that it was nice going into town together, therefore we did this every Sunday. Sometimes we went alone, sometimes we'd bring Setsuko along. Many happy memories came from those times we spent together. Occasionally the boys I worked with would see us and ask if we were dating. Yuki and I would look at each other and blush, then loudly deny anything. This just provoked more teasing, though we tried our best to ignore it.

On one particular Friday, we were sent home from work early, so I decided to go pick up Setsuko from school. When I got there I saw small groups of children talking and playing outside the building. I tried to see if my sister was among them and saw her with the Nakamura boys and a few others. When I called out to her, she beamed and ran toward me, Tsuyoshi and Tamotsu on her heels.

"Hi, Nii-chan!" Setsuko said as she hugged me. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing great, Setsuko." I replied. "Whatcha got there?"

"This?" My sister held up a piece of paper. "This is a picture I drew!"

I looked at the drawing and smiled. It was a drawing of a bird on a cherry tree branch. Now whenever a child draws or makes something, their older relatives always tell them they like it, whether they actually do or not. I told Setsuko I loved her picture not just because she was my sister. I truly believed she was developing a gift for art. Even her teacher thought so, and had given it the highest grade.

"And what about that picture?" I asked as I pointed at a second piece of paper. "May I see that one too?"

"Okay!"

When I looked at it I turned bright red. While I thought this drawing was also very good, it was a drawing of Yuki and I holding hands. Little hearts were drawn around us, and in the corner was a "love umbrella" symbol with both our names under it. Seeing my expression, Setsuko and her friends burst out laughing. I jokingly "beat" the three of them by lightly tapping them on the head with my hat. Then I quickly hid that particular drawing under the first one.

"Alright, Setsuko." I sighed sarcastically. "You've shown me the first two drawings. What about the last one?"

"That's not a drawing, silly!" Setsuko giggled. "That's my report card!"

"Oh! Report cards already?" I put a hand to my forehead as if in shock. "My, how time flies! Have you really been going to school for that long?"

My sister grinned and nodded as she handed me her report card. I scanned the report card and smiled some more. Setsuko was doing very well for her first year. I patted her on the shoulders and told her I was proud of her. She was becoming a little artist _**and**_ a little genius!

"Am I a genius too, Mr. Yokokawa?" Tamotsu exclaimed as he shoved his report card in my face. I chuckled and briefly read through it.

"You know what? I think you are, kid!"

"What about me?" Tsuyoshi piped up. "Am I a genius?"

"Yep!"

"Awesome!" Both twins yelled simultaneously. Then they began calling out to other classmates. "We're geniuses! That means we're smart and _**you're**_ not!"

"Okay, kids, take it easy!" I intervened. "If you guys want to be true geniuses, you don't act arrogant and rub it in people's faces. Use your smartness to help others if they're having trouble. Then you can all be geniuses!"

"But that wouldn't be fun if we were _**all**_ geniuses!"

I rolled my eyes. Sometimes kids could say things that a grown-up just wouldn't know how to answer to. To change the subject, I asked them if there was anything new.

"Yeah!" Tsuyoshi exclaimed. "Tamotsu and I are gonna be big brothers!"

"Oh! Your mother's having a baby, is she?"

"Yep!" Tamotsu added. "And we're hoping it's gonna be a boy!"

"And when it's born, we'll be just like you, Mr. Yokokawa!" Tsuyoshi said. "We still think you're the coolest big brother ever, but soon _**we're**_ gonna!"

"You trying to steal my position, are ya?" I chuckled. "Well, I guess since it's two against one, I'll have to surrender...!" I held up my hands in mock defence. "Please spare me!"

"Whaddya think, Tamotsu?" Tsuyoshi asked his twin. "Should we spare him?"

"Yeah..." Tamotsu replied. "He might not be the coolest big brother anymore, but he's still pretty cool."

"Tamotsu! Tsuyoshi!" A voice called. I turned around to see Mrs. Nakamura standing at the gate to the schoolyard. "Time to go!"

"Coming, Mother!"

"Hey!" I called to her. "These guys told me that they're going to be big brothers! So congratulations to you!"

"Thank-you so much!" Mrs. Nakamura said as she bowed. "Say hello to Yuki and Teruko for me! Bye-bye!"

Setsuko and I waved goodbye to the Nakamura family and headed home ourselves. We decided to walk home for once. I led the bike and my sister walked beside me down the back roads. The sun was beginning to set and the sky was turning orange in the west. Our shadows were starting to get longer, my own shadow's head and shoulders in the rice fields.

"Why can't I be a big sister..." Setsuko sulked.

I smiled and tried to reassure her. "Don't worry, Setsuko. Though you being a big sister obviously is not going to happen, who knows? Maybe someday I'll be married with kids. Then you could boss them around when I'm busy!"

This managed to make my sister laugh before she got serious again. "...Nii-chan...?"

"Yes, Setsuko?"

"Chiyoko told me that she had a family portrait done yesterday..."

"Oh, that's nice. Maybe we should have one done sometime."

"Okay. But... Nii-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have any family portraits with Mommy in them?"

My smile faded and I stopped in my tracks. All photographs of my family had been lost during the war. I did have one of my father once, but I had buried it with my mother's ashes. I looked at Setsuko sadly. "I'm sorry, Setsuko... They're all lost. We don't have any..."

I continued walking down the path. Suddenly I heard a small sob. Turning around I saw my sister had crouched down on the road. Tears were streaming down her face and she was wiping her eyes. Seeing my innocent little sister like that made my heart sink. I walked over until I stood in front of her and crouched down.

"What's wrong, Setsuko?" I whispered as I put a hand on her shoulder. "Go ahead and tell me. I'm your big brother, aren't I?"

"I can't remember...!" Setsuko sobbed. "I can't remember what Mommy looked like...!"

"Oh, Setsuko...!" I put my arms around my little sister and held her tightly. I felt tears coming to my own eyes. It had been so long since I'd seen Mother's face. I remembered back when her image was so clear in my mind. But now, even I was forgetting what she looked like. Then my spirits lifted as I recalled what many people had said about us before Mother died, how we resembled her and such. I pulled out of the hug and walked to the watery rice field.

"Come over to the pond, Setsuko. I want to show you something." At my words, Setsuko slowly stood up and walked over to me. "Look down there. What do you see?"

Setsuko looked down and then at me questioningly. "Rice plants?"

"Oh, no!" I chucked. "The water! What do you see in the water?"

"Umm... My reflection?"

"That's right! What else?"

"Your reflection...?"

"Good! Now I want you to look really hard at your eyes in your reflection, okay?" After a while, I said, "Now study my face as hard as you can."

"Okay, I've studied." Setsuko mumbled after a few seconds.

"Now give me a smile!" Her mouth formed a fake smile. I made a funny face and caused her to smile for real, a huge cheerful one. "See that? That's Mother's smile right there. Now combine that with your eyes and my face. And there you go! That's what Mother looked like!"

Setsuko gasped in amazement when she realized what I had done. "Nii-chan, ookini! Thank-you, thank-you!" She giggled and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back and smiled. Now we both remembered what our mother looked like. "I love you, Nii-chan..."

"I love you too, Setsuko..."

* * *

**Man... this is my favourite Setsuko moment so far. It really is too bad that they couldn't have their parents with them, but at least they have each other. And I'm glad that Yuki and Seita are giving Setsuko the chance to have a fairly normal childhood by having her go to school and make friends. It's too late for them - I mean look at those two! Seita is out working at a dangerous job like a grown man when he really should be in school. Yuki has also grown up fast and has taken on the typical mother and wife roles by doing the household chores and other things when she should be out having fun and hanging out with her friends like a lot of girls her age do today. Yep... war does change a lot of things...**

**Anyways, I hoped you liked that Seita-Setsuko moment there. I can't have Yuki completely taking the spotlight from that kid! She's sure to have a little more "screen time" (is there a term like that to apply to writing? "page time"...?) later on. Tsuyoshi and Tamotsu will have a few more appearances too. Until then, ciao for now!**


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER 22: YUKI**

I looked out the front door to see the sun rising. Like always, I was up before everyone else making breakfast. By now it was early August, and I could tell the day was going to be a hot one. Seita definitely wouldn't be needing his coat for work today. Obaa-chan, Seita and Setsuko soon woke up and began to eat what I had prepared. This time I had tried something different and I hoped everyone would like it.

"This is really good, Yuki...!" Seita said between mouthfuls. "You should cook like this all the time!"

"You know, it is very good." Obaa-chan added. "Much better than my own cooking!"

"Glad you like it!" I smiled.

"Hey, Nii-chan?" Setsuko asked her brother. "Do you like Yuki's food that much?"

"Oh, I don't like it!" He replied with his mouth full. "I love it!" Once he finished his bowl he held it out to me. "More, please!"

"So, Nii-chan... If you love Yuki's cooking so much, why don't you marry her? Then you could eat as much as you want! It'd really work out since you already act like you're married!"

Everyone, including myself, began to laugh at Seita's expression. His face turned red and he warned his sister to be quiet. Once I refilled his bowl he practically choked it down. Then he quickly went to the doorway to put on his work boots and head out. I picked up his lunch and walked over to him so he could take it.

"Forgetting something, Seita?" I said as I tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around I handed him his lunch bag - and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Seita instantly froze for a few seconds, then the bag slipped out of his hand and fell to the floor. After shaking his head, he recklessly bolted out the door, ignoring the fact that his lunch was still on the ground.

"Wait, Seita! I yelled after him. "Your lunch..."

I picked up the lunch bag and went to the door, Setsuko on my heels. We both burst out laughing when we looked outside. Seita was slowly getting on his bike, staring into space with an absent-minded grin. If he didn't remember to put his foot on the ground soon, he'd fall over on his side. I handed Setsuko the lunch bag and she cautiously walked over to her brother. Poor Seita seemed to jump ten feet in the air when his sister tapped his shoulder.

Obaa-chan had come to stand beside me at the doorway. We tried not to laugh too hard as Seita recovered from his shock. He managed to stammer a thank-you before riding off on his bike. I smiled as I watched Seita leave. He could be very humourous to watch at times. He was also kind, and thoughtful, and... and sweet... and...

"Yuki?" A small voice brought me down to earth. I looked down to see Setsuko tugging my skirt. "Are you okay, Yuki?"

I smiled and patted the little girl on the head. "I'm fine, Setsuko. I really am..." Looking out the door once more, I smiled again, then went inside to do the chores.

It was a Saturday that day, so Setsuko didn't have to go to school. She followed me around and helped me with everything. After doing the daily home chores we did the weekly shopping. Seita and his group had been stationed somewhere on the other side of town, so we couldn't go visit him. But we still had a good time like always, looking at the shops and walking through the park. I even bought a tin of fruit drops that we could both share.

"Ugh! I can't do it...!" Setsuko grunted as she tried to open the tin.

"Do you want me to help you?"

"No! _**I**_ can do it!"

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. Her determination could be rather amusing at times. For five minutes she struggled to open that tin. Finally she gave up and handed it to me. And then for another five minutes _**I**_ was the one who was struggling. Fortunately I got the lid off in the end. We both walked home eating the delicious candies.

Because Seita was working farther away now, he came home a little later than normal. When he got in the door, he looked in my direction and nodded with a smile. It was as if he was signalling that he was okay, that unlike this morning, he was now right in the head. To smile back at him was completely unavoidable. With that, we all sat down to eat our supper. Once we were finished, we decided to all hang out in the backyard.

The sun had set a few minutes ago, but the sky was orange in the west. Looking to the east the sky was turning a dark blue, with one or two stars visible. Seita and I sat on the large rock while we watched Setsuko try to find fireflies. The six-year-old couldn't find any at the moment, so she decided to climb a tree, but without success.

"Here, Setsuko. Let me help you!" Seita got up and lifted his sister up to the lowest branch. From there she was fine, and it sure looked fun up there. Then Seita turned to me. "Hey, Yuki! I bet it's been a while since you've climbed a tree. Come on! I'll help you up!"

I stood up and cautiously walked over to the tree. Seita bent down and cupped his hands together. "Go on!" Seita encouraged. "I'll give you a boost, okay?" I hesitated at first, but he managed to get me to the lowest branch. Then he climbed up after me.

"Hey, Yuki!" Setsuko called from above. "When was the last time you climbed a tree?"

"A very long time ago! I think that was back when my sisters were alive!"

For half an hour we all sat in that tree talking. As I sat next to Seita, I felt the strangest feeling of warmth. This was especially so if he ever smiled at me. I would turn away quickly, embarrassed at the fact that I was blushing severely. Seita either didn't notice or chose not to say anything to embarrass me any further. When Setsuko came down a branch to sit between us, I felt a little better, yet a little regretful.

After a while, Setsuko started to get visibly tired. Despite her protests, Obaa-chan came out into the yard to tell us that we'd better get ready for bed. Little Setsuko complained that she wasn't a bit sleepy, but as for most kids, a large yawn betrayed her. Seita chuckled at his sister and jumped down from the tree. He held out his arms and caught her as she jumped down after him. Then he looked up at me.

"Can you climb down, Yuki? You need help?"

"I don't know, Seita. I don't think cripples are good climbers..."

"Yuki...!" Seita's tone got a little stern. "For the thousandth time, you are not a cripple! Quit saying such things about yourself!" Then his face turned soft again. "Now do you need any help, or not? I'll catch you like I did with Setsuko." I hesitated a little, but I let go of the branch and fell into Seita's arms.

"Ack!" Seita cried out. He staggered with the extra weight. "Heavy...!"

"I am _**not**_ heavy _**Yokokawa Seita**_!"

"Oh, no, no!" He protested. "I just meant that you're heavier than my sister...!"

"Alright! I believe you...! Would you kindly put me down, please...?" I desperately wanted to get out of the awkward situation of Seita holding me. Although I have to admit I did like it a little, I overall felt uncomfortable. He listened to me and set me down.

"Sorry if I offended you, Yuki." Seita smiled. "I'm just not used to it. I've only had to carry you like that once. And that was... when..."

Seita's smile faded and the gleam in his eyes turned dull. He looked at me briefly and mournfully turned away with his eyes closed. I knew what he was thinking. When my leg had been injured due to a strafing, it was Seita who had carried my unconscious body back to the abandoned bomb shelter in which we lived. The memory of that plane and the bullets it fired was traumatic, a memory neither me nor Seita wanted to remember.

Suddenly everything disappeared and I found myself on that gravel road. I saw a group of planes fly by, one of them turning sharply to the left - in my direction. I gave a cry and tried to move, but couldn't. My ears were suddenly filled with the sound of bullets firing. My vision became blurry and everything merged together. I felt myself falling over as I heard a voice echo in my head.

"Yuki? Yuki, are you alright? Say something! Yuki! _**Yuki..!**_"

I opened my eyes again and blinked a few times. When my vision came back I saw that Seita had his hands on my shoulders, lightly shaking me. Setsuko and Obaa-chan were behind him looking very concerned. When Seita saw that I had come around he let out a sigh of relief and loosened his grip on me. I frantically looked around me, having not quite recovered from my shock. Then I began to sob uncontrollably.

"What's wrong, Yuki?" Setsuko asked with worry in her voice. "What happened?"

But I didn't notice the little girl speaking to me. I didn't notice Seita tightly hugging me. I didn't notice Obaa-chan put her hand on my shoulder. I didn't even notice the three of them gently leading me inside the house. I just continued to cry and whimper as I did. And I cried for a long time, until I finally fell asleep.

* * *

**Poor Yuki... Talk about PTSD... And just to give you guys a heads-up, it gets ****_A LOT_**** worse in the next chapter, so don't say I didn't warn you... :(**


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER 23: SEITA**

As I headed out the main bedroom door, I looked behind me to where Yuki was lying on her bed. She had finally fallen asleep, though tears were still visible on her cheeks. Setsuko had long gone to sleep, despite Yuki's crying. I stared at their faces and tears started to stream down my own face. Stepping out of the room I gently closed the door behind me. Then I went to sit on the back porch with Obaa-chan.

"And are _**you**_ alright, Seita?" Obaa-chan asked with a frown. "You're crying!"

"I'm sorry, Obaa-chan..." I wiped my tears. "I just feel so guilty! I didn't mean to make Yuki so upset...! And I hate seeing her like that! I'd do anything to make it up to her...!"

"Because you love her?"

"_**Yes!**_ More than anything...!"

Obaa-chan smiled slightly and patted my shoulder. "I thought so. But don't worry. She'll be alright, I'm sure. And now that you've told me your feelings, maybe it will be easier for you to tell them to _**her**_..."

"Obaa-chan..." I spoke up. "Are you sure there isn't anything else I can do for her right now? I just feel like I have to do _**something**_...!"

"Well, Seita, there isn't anything you can do now. Just let her sleep. Hopefully things will be alright in the morning." With those words Obaa-chan stood up and stretched. "Well, I think I'll be turning in for the night. You should get some rest yourself! And since tomorrow is a Sunday we can all sleep in an extra hour or so."

I smiled as I watched the elderly woman go into her room. Since the very beginning she had always known how to make us feel better. I guess that's what grandmothers and elderly people are for. I crawled onto my bed and tried to sleep, but I couldn't. I kept looking in Yuki's direction. Once when I looked over, I saw a faint smile on her face. _**Good. She's having sweet dreams. Maybe now I can go to sleep.**_

By complete contrast, my dreams were far from sweet. Ever since the war's end, I had experienced many horrible dreams. But the dream I had this night was much more terrible than any nightmares I had ever had. It wasn't just one small nightmare, but a huge sequence that lasted the entire night. Today when I look back, I realize that even after all these years later, I had never had such a traumatic nightmare before - or since...

In my dream I found myself sitting in a cobbled street in Nishinomiya. It was in the middle of the night and very dark, with a distant street lamp the only light source. There was no other person that I could see or hear. Suddenly I heard the sound of a girl screaming, and the noise startled me. I looked around me, but I couldn't see anything, and it had turned quiet. Then I heard the screaming again, and my eyes widened in shock when I recognized the voice.

"Yuki!" I shouted. I jumped up on my feet and searched blindly through the lonely streets. But I still couldn't see anything. "Yuki, where are you?"

"Seita!" Yuki cried out. "He-!" Her voice was abruptly cut off.

I was in a frenzy. Where was Yuki? Who was hurting her? I ran frantically down the streets, looking up and down the dark and desolate alleyways. Everything was eerily silent. Then I heard the screaming again. Yuki wasn't that far away. I whirled around and ran in the direction of her cries. After turning a corner and charging down an alleyway, I came to a halt and froze in horror at what I saw.

A man wearing soldier's clothing was gripping Yuki harshly and dragging her down the street, his large hand covering her mouth. When she saw me she kicked the man and started to run to me, only for him to grab her braid and yank her back towards him. This was exactly what had happened a few years ago. A man had tried to sexually assault Yuki, and I had intervened and helped her escape. It was one of many memories I didn't want to relive, but I was completely unaware that I was only dreaming.

Seeing what this monster was trying to do to one of the most important people in my life infuriated me. Turning utterly berserk, I screamed with rage and charged towards the man, my eyes flaring. I pushed him away from Yuki and attacked him as viciously as possible. But the man grabbed the front of my coat and practically smashed me against the stone wall of a building. The blow was hard enough for me to see stars and I fell to the ground.

I used the wall for support as I staggered to my feet. After blinking a few times to clear my vison I saw that the man had dragged Yuki farther down the road. I took a step and collapsed again, but quickly got back up. Strangely my strength recovered in an instant and I was running at full speed down the road. I turned a corner in time to see the man opening the door to a building.

"Hey, boys! Look what I found!" The man laughed as he shoved Yuki through the doorway. I heard the laugher of other men inside. The first man had a sickening smile on his face. He noticed me and marched inside the building, closing the door behind him.

I was getting angrier by the second. I lunged for the door and tried to open it, but it seemed that it was bolted on the other side. Therefore I began pounding with my fists. Suddenly Yuki's screams turned into high-pitched shrieking and the laughter of the men got louder. I gasped in shock and my anger exploded. I pounded the door harder and tears began pouring down my face.

"When I get in there, I'm going to _**KILL YOU ALL!**_" I screamed. "You hear me? _**I'll kill every one of you!**_" I began sobbing uncontrollably and finally resorted to begging. "You have to stop! I'm begging you to let her go! _**Please stop...!**_"

But they didn't stop. Though Yuki's shrieks had died down the laughter was louder than ever. I wiped my tears and slowly backed away from the door. I kept going until my back touched the wall of the building across the street. Then I charged towards the door with a full body slam. I felt the door give way and I crashed to the ground inside.

"Nii-chan... Have one..." A small voice said in front of me. I looked up to find myself in the old bomb shelter we used to live in. Setsuko was laying in front of me, holding some balls of dirt in her tiny hands. I took one look at her and saw she was greatly undernourished, her eyes sunken and her limbs bony. Why was she holding dirt?

"Setsuko! What...?"

"Rice balls." Setsuko replied weakly. "I made them for you. Here. Have one..." I began tearing up again at my sister's words. "You don't want them...?"

"Setsuko...!" My eyes felt watery but I didn't want to cry in front of my little sister. I didn't want her to lose hope if she saw me break down. I wiped my eyes and picked up a bag of food that was beside me. "I'll go make us some rice gruel with eggs. Be right back, okay?"

I walked out of the shelter and the scene changed again. I was standing in an alleyway like I had been a few minutes before. There was no source of light whatsoever, and I was in complete darkness. Walking down the alleyway, I saw a figure lying in the dirt, facing the wall with its back to me. When I got a little closer, I could see the figure was female. But I didn't recognize her, so I kept walking.

Suddenly I felt something under my feet and I looked down. On the ground was what appeared to be clothing. They were a simple shirt and work pants - the typical style of girl's clothing worn during the war. They were ragged and covered in dirt and blood. I turned around to look at the girl lying on the street and realized that she didn't have a stitch of clothing on her body. These clothes must belong to her... but what happened to her?

Then I noticed something underneath the clothing and kneeled down to pick it up. It was a beaded necklace that was green like jade, with a large bead in the middle. It looked identical to a necklace I had bought for Yuki a few months ago. Then I saw the identification patch on the clothing. My eyes widened as I saw the name on the patch and I blinked a few times, hoping that I was only seeing things. But it turns out I wasn't seeing things, for the one name I dreaded seeing was written on the patch in clear bold characters...

NAME: SASAKI YUKI

I slowly stood up and walked towards the unclothed girl, my eyes beginning to shed more tears. She was alive, but she was breathing with difficulty, and her body was covered in scratches and bruises. It was evident that someone had stripped her naked, then brutally violated and beaten her. Putting a hand on her chin I turned her head so I could see her face. Although I knew it was coming, I gave a whimper as I looked into Yuki's eyes. She stared up at me in confusion.

"Yuki...!" My whimpering turned into sobbing. "Why? _**Oh god, why? **_How could they do this to you?" My heart had been like a pane of glass that was steadily being broken by a hammer at the things I had previously seen. But this time the hammer had given a blow hard enough to make it shatter to pieces.

I removed my coat and carefully slid her arms through the sleeves before buttoning it up again. "Here. You need these more than I do..." Yuki's eyes suddenly widened a little and she began whimpering. I realized it was because she was seeing me take off my pants. "Oh no, Yuki... You've got it all wrong! I'm trying to help you..." I continued to dress her in my own clothing so she could cover herself. Then I tried to calm her down as best I could.

Poor Yuki was getting weaker by the minute. I held her in my arms in an attempt to comfort her. I even tried singing the lullaby she frequently sang. But she was still shaky and she continued whimpering. After a while I heard a small voice cry out weakly. I looked up in surprise to see the malnourished Setsuko laying not far away from us. I walked over, picked up my tiny sister, and brought her back to Yuki. I held both of them gently in my arms.

Now I began to realize that there was no hope for either of them. I tried to hold back my sobs, but without success. I eventually becalmed the two girls and commented on how awful and tired they must feel. Maybe they should go to sleep. Both Yuki and Setsuko closed their eyes and their breathing got slower. Eventually it stopped altogether.

_**They never woke up...**_

A gust of wind began to blow down the narrow street. It was so cold it made me shiver uncontrollably. Suddenly I realized that the bodies of Yuki and Setsuko had disappeared, and I was all alone. I heard a roaring sound that got louder as something whooshed past me. I realised I was now lying against a pillar in Kobe's Sannomiya Train Station. Voices I didn't recognize began to taunt me. They told me that I was a murderer. That I caused the deaths of two innocent people. That I deserved to die myself.

Suddenly I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head weakly to the side to look at it. My vision was blurry, so at first I couldn't see what it was. I reached out my arm to grab it and realized it was it was extremely gaunt. Then I saw that my whole body was barely more than skin and bones.

Because I had given my clothes to Yuki, all I had was a worn out cotton shirt and undershorts. But I barely fit them because of my emaciation. I stretched out my frail arm as far as I could and picked up the object. Holding it in my hand I began to examine it carefully. It was long and slightly curved, and one half of it was black. The other half was a shining silver that reflected the light, and it was sharp at the very tip. Looking at it more closely I realized what it was. It was a tanto dagger - a dagger used to commit seppuku.

Looking at the blade I didn't see my face, but the face of a killer. A murderer who deserved to die. "Setsuko...! Yuki...!" I cried out. "It's all my fault! I let you die in front of me and I didn't do anything about it. I didn't protect you! I _**killed**_ you! _**I**_ killed you!" I sat up straight and pointed the tip of the dagger to my abdomen. I slowly lifted it up above my head, my hands faltering. Then I abruptly brought it down and I contorted in agony until I fell over, dead.

My eyes shot open and I sat up in bed, panting heavily and clutching my stomach. I looked around frantically and realized I was in my own home. On my left side, Yuki and Setsuko were sleeping peacefully in their beds. They were both perfectly fine and for that reason I was relieved. It had all been a dream. A horrible, awful nightmare. Tears threatened to come out once more, both tears of joy and depression at the same time. Joy because it was only a dream, depression because it was a nightmare that felt so real.

I slowly stood up and crept out the bedroom door, out of the house and into the backyard. Sitting down on the large rock I broke down and let the sobs come. I stayed out there for twenty minutes and let it all pour out. Once I was finished I felt a little better and headed back for the house. The sky was beginning to get light, and the stars were fading away. The quiet view calmed me, and as I laid back down on my bed I looked at the sleeping faces of Yuki and Setsuko and smiled affectionately.

"Setsuko... I'm so glad you're alright." I whispered softly. "That dream I had was just awful, and I promise you that it will never become reality. For as long as I live, I will look after you, and be the best big brother I can..."

Then I looked at Yuki and my chest suddenly felt much warmer. "Yuki... I am fully and completely honest when I say I love you more than anything. And I'm pretty sure I've felt that way far longer than I think I have. If only I was brave enough to tell you that when I know you can hear me..."

I wiped away a tear and continued talking. "I promise that I will always protect you and keep you safe, whether you feel the same for me or not. You both mean the world to me. If anything horrible was to happen to you or Setsuko, I would..." I remembered the last few seconds of my nightmare and I sighed before finally saying, "I would never forgive myself..."

* * *

**Well... Didn't I tell you it'd get worse?! :'(**

**You know, I originally planned for this scene to be a lot worse than it turned out. The dream sequence was originally going to start with Seita witnessing his mother get burned during the air raid. Seita's interactions with Setsuko were going to be longer, with him coming back from making the rice gruel to find her dead. It's actually quite toned down in comparison to how it was before. Besides making the chapter too long, I felt it was already way too horrific as it was, so I cut those bits out.**

**Also, the dream (or nightmare) sequence was partially based on the late Satoshi Kon's Millennium Actress, with Seita going from one scene to the other by walking through doorways and entranceways. Another thing: try re-reading the dream sequence while listening the the movie score titled "Actress in Time Layers". I just happened to be doing that one day and discovered how much they fit together. You can find the song on Youtube. Maybe while you're at it, look up some funny videos that can cheer you up after reading this chapter. Don't worry, the next few chapters are happier ones...**


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER 24: YUKI**

For some reason, Seita seemed desolate for the next few days. Obaa-chan and I both noticed this and repeatedly asked him what was wrong. Every time he would always smile and say we didn't need to worry, though the distressed look in his eyes betrayed his words. Of course I was worried anyway, since he had been acting like that since I had broken down that night. I hoped I hadn't worried him that much.

After a while Seita finally told us what was bothering him. He explained that he had experienced a nightmare in which horrible things had happed to Setsuko and I, and then himself. We asked him what exactly happened in the dream, but he refused to give details. He didn't want any of us to be reminded of traumatic memories. One could definitely see that it had been an awful experience for him too. When he was finished speaking, Setsuko, Obaa-chan and I each gave Seita a tight hug, and he welcomed them one by one.

More seasons came and went. Summer turned into fall and then became winter. In turn, winter turned into spring and finally came back to summer. During this time, Seita and I became noticeably closer, but we were both too nervous to say it with actual words. Instead, we showed it with action, with one going out of their way to help the other with something and vice-versa. Setsuko had noticed this by now and she always observed us, hoping for a chance to see a kiss. Unfortunately for her - and us for that matter - it didn't happen once.

One day in early July there was a typhoon due to hit in a while. Seita and the other boys who did construction jobs were given the next few days off due to the severe weather. When I looked out the front door as he left to buy supplies I saw the dark clouds heading our way. Not long after he came back, the winds picked up and a downpour followed. Obaa-chan, Seita, Setsuko and I all ate our supper and listened to the howling winds and pouring rain.

"You know how I always tell you how much I love the rain?" Obaa-chan asked. "Well, heavy rain such as this is an exception. I hope things calm down soon before the roof blows off and is washed away!"

That typhoon lasted that night and most of the day afterwards. Once it went away there was a heat wave. We were all fanning ourselves and trying to keep as cool as possible. Two days after the typhoon was a Saturday, so Setsuko was off school. She made plans with the Nakamura boys to come over for supper that day, and she and Obaa-chan would pick them up after they finished shopping. Normally I would have done the shopping, but since Seita was repairing the roof it was decided that I would stay in case of an accident.

"Seita, are you sure you're alright?" I called up to him. It scared me to see him so high off the ground. "Don't you need any help?"

"I'm okay, Yuki." He replied. "Don't you worry about a thing." Although I still worried, I went back inside to make dinner for the both of us. Suddenly the hammering abruptly stopped and I heard a strange sliding noise. I half-ran and half-limped outside and looked up frantically.

"Seita!" I shouted. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Yuki, I'm fine! Honest!" Seita called from above. "I just slipped."

"Well be more careful, alright?" I replied. "Maybe you should come down. It's too hot outside! You're going to get dizzy and faint, then fall off the roof and break your neck!"

"Yes, that would be a problem!" Seita laughed as he continued to hammer. "But if that were to happen, so what? Nothing can be done about it. Shikata ga nai..."

"Oh, thank-you, Seita!" I cried out sarcastically. "That cheers me up _**so**_ much!"

"You're welcome!" Seita replied with a huge grin. "Glad I could help!"

"_**Ugh!**_" I groaned. "Go ahead and _**fall off the roof**_ for all I care!"

"Hey, wait! Two seconds ago you were scared for me. Now you _**want**_ me to fall?"

"_**Yes!**_"

A slight pause. "Okay...!" Seita suddenly tipped to the side, making me scream. Apparently, he was making a joke and began to laugh as he sat back upright. I threatened that if he did that one more time I would climb onto the roof and push him off myself. This just made him laugh even more and I just gave up.

"Alright, Seita, you win. Just please,_** please**_ be careful... I really worry about you!"

"You worry a little too much sometimes, Yuki." Seita had stopped laughing and had turned a little serious. He adjusted his sitting position on the roof so that he faced me, the hammer set down beside him. "I wish you wouldn't. You know I hate it when I make you upset."

"Well I have to be! I always have to worry about people I lo-." I turned red when I realized I was about to say "love". "People I... People I care about..."

Seita's serious expression turned into a smile. "Well, I'm glad to hear you really care about me, Yuki. Thanks... Oh! Can you do me a small favour?"

"Sure. I'll do anything."

"Okay. Catch this." He picked up his coat and threw it down for me to catch. "It's much too hot to wear this. I'll throw down my shirt too. Gimme a sec." He unbuttoned his shirt, but kept on his cotton undershirt. I was ready to catch that as well.

"Oh, man this reeks!" The shirt was wet and stinky with sweat. I held it as far away from my face as possible. "You know what? I think I'm gonna wash these right away..."

"Great. Thanks a lot!" Seita smiled again. "I won't trouble you anymore. I'll be up here if you need me."

"Alright!" I smiled back. "And I'll be down here if you need me! Dinner's not going to be ready for quite a while yet, so I'll wash these in the meantime. Now you be careful, alright?"

I walked back into the house with a smile on my face. There was just something about that grin of Seita's that was just so contagious. Getting out the washtub I began to wash his coat and shirt, trying to get the stink out of them. As I did all this I listened to the steady rhythm of the hammer on the rooftop. It was a little comforting knowing that I wasn't alone and that Seita was not too far away.

Nevertheless, I still worried. It was so hot out today and Seita was working outside in the sun. What if something happened to him? Or was Seita right and that I was worrying too much? Well, no matter how fine things seemed, I just couldn't help but worry about the people I loved. Yes, I finally admitted to myself that I did have romantic feelings for Seita. But I didn't know whether to tell him or not. I knew he already liked me, but were his feelings as strong as mine?

I quickly dismissed these thoughts from my mind. If I wasn't careful, I'd get sidetracked, and I didn't want to wear a hole into Seita's shirt from washing it too hard. Besides, if Seita felt the same as I did, I'd find out sooner or later... right? And although I still worried about him, I could still hear the hammer pounding on the roof. He was alright for now, and as long as I heard that hammer or other movement I'd know he was okay.

For the next quarter of an hour I kept on doing the chores. When I had hung up the shirt and coat to dry I checked on the dinner. It was almost ready, which was good because I was getting hungry, and Seita probably was too. Suddenly I heard the hammering on the roof get slower, uneven and clumsy before stopping altogether. I stopped what I was doing and listened, for I was certain something was wrong. Then I heard a thud and then a sliding sound before heading a second thud on the other side of the house.

Hearing that final thud made all the colour drain from my face. A chill shot up my spine and I slowly turned towards the back door. My body turned with my head and my feet began to move forward, gradually getting faster. I ran as fast as I could despite my right leg dragging and hurting agonizingly. Without stopping I bolted through the living room and out the back porch.

"_**Seita!**_" I screamed. Seita was lying on the grass beside the house on his side. It was a good thing he had landed on something soft, but at the time my only concern was to see if he was alright. I crouched down beside him and put my hands on his shoulders. "Oh, Seita! Are you alright? Please answer me!"

"Yuki..." Seita mumbled as he opened his eyes. He looked up at me and smiled faintly. "I'm... I'm okay. Don't worry..." He tried getting up on his own, but failed. I helped him to stand on his feet by having him lean against me.

"Seita, you are not 'okay'..." I said as I looked him up and down. "Your covered in cuts and bruises! And..." I trailed off as I saw some red on his right arm. "What's that on your arm..?" Seita immediately hid his arm behind his back, but I grabbed it and held it in front of me. It was covered in blood. "Oh, what a horrible gash! Come on! Let's get you fixed up right now!"


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER 25: SEITA**

Yuki tried leading me by the arm into the house, but I reassured her that I could walk on my own. I didn't want her to think that I was that helpless. In a way, I didn't even want to admit that I had been wrong about something. Although I had told her earlier that I was alright, I really wasn't. When Yuki was blabbing on about me fainting and breaking my neck I had felt a little dizzy, but I didn't want to make her worry. In the end though, everything she had worried what would happen happened, except the broken neck.

"Please, Yuki...! You don't have to help me." I begged "You already have so much work to do. I'll be alright!"

At my words, Yuki turned her head to face me and gave me a stern look. I knew from experience that it was time to shut up. Even so, I was thankful that she cared this much for me. But I still wondered just _**how**_ much. She seemed to have strong feelings, but was that only because it was her motherly instinct? Or was it because she loved me...? I mean, I knew she already loved me like her family, but did she love me like... like I loved her?

_**Well, maybe now's the time to tell her,**_ I thought. _**I can't bear it any longer. I have to know! And this is the perfect time. Obaa-chan and Setsuko are out and we're all alone. There will be no one to bother us or make the situation awkward. But how will I tell her? What will I do if her reaction is negative? Okay... Just stay calm, Seita... Stay calm. It will come to you...**_

I breathed steadily to compose myself as I followed Yuki into the kitchen. She instructed me to sit down as she prepared a cold washcloth and a drink. I watched her intently as she worked the pump to dampen the cloth. Even though I was sure my whole body was in pain, I hardly noticed a thing. Not even the obvious gash on my arm. When Yuki had the cloth ready she gave it to me to put over the gash to clean and stop the blood, then got a second cloth ready.

"Use this one for your other scratches." Yuki said softly as she gave it to me. Her eyes were filled with concern. "Are you alright, Seita...? I hope you're not in too much pain..."

"It's alright, Yuki." I said with a faint smile. "I don't feel a thing. Honest."

"And there you go, acting like your stubborn, proud self again..." Yuki said as she searched the cupboards for bandages. Even though her back was to me, I could tell she was rolling her eyes and smiling sarcastically. "If you weren't so badly hurt, I'd be tempted to slap you for acting like that! Just what would you do if I wasn't here to help you?"

_**Yes... What would I do...? Alright, Seita. This is it! This is just the right moment! Now just say what you've been wanting to say...!**_

"Yuki, I...!" I stood up abruptly as I spoke, still ignoring the pain. My face began to turn red when I saw that my sudden actions had startled Yuki and made her jump. She turned her head to face me and gave me a questioning look. I just stood there, my mouth desperately trying and failing to form words. Eventually, some words did come out, but they were the wrong ones. "Yuki... I... Th- Th- _**Thank-you...!**_"

I felt like kicking myself. _**Thank-you? Why did I have to say that? Seita, you are such an idiot! Why can't you do this one simple thing? Why can't you say those three little words that are aching to get off your tongue? Okay, just relax, Seita. Just try again. You can do it...**_

I slowly sat back down as Yuki took the bandages out of the cupboard. She looked a little embarrassed as she kneeled down to wrap the bandage around my arm. I could see a slight blush on her cheeks, but I thought it made her look sweet. "You're welcome." Yuki said as she continued to bandage my arm. "And..." her blush got a little deeper. "Is there anything _**else**_ you want to say...?"

Anything else? She was giving me another chance? I felt ecstatic, as this was a _**very**_ good sign. But I was worried that the words would come out wrong again. I decided that though I was still going to let her know how I felt, I was not going to use words. Actions can speak much louder than words, so I decided to go down that path. "No..." I replied to Yuki's question. "Just..." I grabbed the hand that was bandaging my arm and squeezed it tightly. My next words were barely more than a whisper. "Thank-you..." Translation: _**I love you...**_

Yuki's eyes widened as she stared at her hand - the hand I held in mine. She looked up at me in bewilderment, her blush at it's fullest. I gave her a smile of pure affection. Everything was completely silent in the room. Yuki's warm brown eyes appeared to be sparkling and her mouth slowly curved into a smile - a smile that mirrored mine. She looked down at her hand and curled her fingers around mine. Then she looked back up at me with the sweetest smile I had ever seen. I heard her gently say "You're welcome..." Translation: _**I love you too...**_

My head was in a whirl and I could feel my chest pounding like crazy. Warmth was flowing from Yuki's hand and spreading throughout my body. Her brilliant eyes seemed to have a kind of power over me, because my own eyes were locked on them and couldn't look away. Their expression told me all I needed to know, that she returned all of my feelings. A feeling of peace came over me. With my eyes still looking into Yuki's, I reached out and took her other hand, cupping both of them in mine.

For a few seconds we sat there in silence, holding each other's hands, completely unaware of anything else. It seems that Yuki and I both felt thrilled, yet peaceful at the same time. Then a thought came into my head. I felt slightly nervous again but I tried not to show it. I leaned in a little bit. "Yuki...?" I asked. "May I...? Would it be... alright if I...? There was a short pause before Yuki slowly nodded and closed her eyes. _**Just stay calm, Seita, **_I thought._** You can do this... **_I sighed, then slowly leaned over and closed my eyes...

"HEY GUYS! WE'RE BACK!"

I opened my eyes abruptly and so did Yuki. Our faces were little over an inch apart. We both simultaneously turned our heads in the direction of the call. Then we looked back at each other and blushed. Yuki stood up and began to head for the doorway. "That must... be Setsuko and the others..." She said absent mindedly. "I should... I should get the door for them..."

I stared after her before looking straight ahead. I didn't know what to feel. Should I be feeling joyful? After all, I now knew that Yuki returned my feelings. She had even wanted me to kiss her! Or should I feel disappointed because it didn't actually happen? My thoughts were interrupted by the door opening.

"Hello guys! Back already?" Yuki exclaimed. I was surprised at how fast she had put on her normal face after what had just happened. "Well, come on in! I'll be quick and make something up for you all to eat."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, dear." I heard Obaa-chan chuckle. "We ate on the way back and our stomachs are all filled up!"

"And how are you doing, Tsuyoshi and Tamotsu?" Yuki asked. "It's been a while since I've seen the two of you! How's your mother and baby sister?"

"They're doing okay..." One of the twins replied. "But Mother doesn't pay all that much attention to us anymore. It's all about Tsukiko, Tsukiko, Tsukiko..."

I smiled as I listened to them talk. I decided not to let what had just happened bother me. Hopefully another opportunity would arise soon. Thinking back to how I felt as I had leaned closer to Yuki's face, I shut my eyes and let out a peaceful sigh.

"Oh my goodness, Seita!" Obaa-chan's voice called out, snapping me out of my thoughts. "What happened to you?" She briskly walked over to me and looked at my injuries. The Nakamura twins followed behind, eager to see any "battle scars." I looked down at my arm and suddenly realized that with all that was happening, I had even forgotten that I was hurt.

"Poor Seita fainted because of the heat..." Yuki quietly responded. "I was... um... bandaging him up when you all arrived..."

Obaa-chan either didn't notice Yuki's red face or decided not to say anything. She sat down in front of me and started bandaging my arm from where Yuki left off. "Yuki, go get something for the boy to drink. Then why don't you put on your kimono and relax? You must be tired as well! I'll set the table for your lunch, too."

"You don't have to do that, Obaa-chan! You also have to tired from all that walking..."

"'You don't have to do that...'" Obaa-chan echoed Yuki. "You sound like a broken record player, child, saying that all the time. Maybe you should try learning to say 'I wouldn't mind a little break and I appreciate your help!' Just get Seita something to drink, then relax."

Yuki finally agreed and gave me a cup of water, which I drank in a matter of gulps. As I showed Tsuyoshi and Tamotsu my "battle scars", she went into the bedroom to change into her kimono. Although I had gotten it for her over a year ago it still fit her nicely. Obaa-chan set out plates for Yuki and I to eat our lunch and went out to watch Setsuko and the twins play. The two of us were still a little shy of each other because of what had **_almost_** happened, and kept silent as we ate our dinner.

The Nakamura twins were to stay until suppertime. In the meantime, because it was so hot outside, they played with my sister indoors. Yuki, Obaa-chan and I all watched them happily, and sometimes we joined in with their games and conversations. Whenever anyone was thirsty, there was refreshing cold water at the ready, though that did mean more trips to the outhouse. Once in a while, Yuki would glance at me from across the room and give me another warm smile, and almost without thinking I would smile back at her. Obaa-chan noticed this and gave both of us questioning looks, and I could almost hear the elderly woman asking, "Alright, what happened, you two?" We tried to stop, though we just couldn't help it.


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER 26: YUKI**

That night as I laid on my bed, my head was still spinning. The events of the day kept replaying in my mind. Seita had boldly grabbed my hand as he thanked me for helping him, but his eyes were saying something else. Those dark brown eyes had been completely flooded with a strong emotion. His warm smile had just as much feeling. And that feeling was affection.

I couldn't believe it. Sure, I was happy, but I just couldn't believe it. Seita's feelings for me were more than a simple infatuation. They were feelings of genuine, heartfelt affection. Sitting up in bed I looked across the room to where Seita was sleeping. His chest was slowly rising and falling, and he was mumbling quietly in his sleep, which was quite unusual for him.

Suddenly Seita's mouth formed a word I recognized. To be precise, the word he softly murmured was a name. And to be even more precise, it was my name. Then that mouth formed a peaceful, serene smile. Seeing Seita like that made me quietly chuckle and blush. I gave out a long sigh as I laid back down on my bed. In my dreams that night, I treaded among the clouds, my head filled with stars, my heart overflowing with joy and happiness.

A couple days passed and Seita soon recovered from his injuries. He went to work every day and things were almost normal. The one thing that was different was that he would always give me that warm, sweet smile before hopping on his bike. Setsuko would watch us and giggle as she followed her brother out the door. One particular day as the two of them were leaving, Setsuko asked a question that had humourous results.

"Nii-chan, why do you smile at Yuki like that?"

At his sister's question, Seita paused mid-stride. "Uh... What smile?"

"You know what I mean!" She tried her best to imitate the smile. "When your mouth is like this, and your making goo-goo eyes like this!"

"Uh... Well, uh..." Seita looked over at me and chuckled nervously.

"Is it because you're in love with her, Nii-chan? Huh? Is that what that smile's about? You're crazy in love with her, aren't ya?"

Seita looked back and forth between us, and Setsuko giggled at her brother's reddening face. He turned back to me and gave me a look that asked "What should I say?" I simply smiled and shrugged. If it was too embarrassing for him, he didn't have to admit it right now and (shockingly) I wouldn't be angry... much... The fact that Setsuko was pestering him so much made it slightly understandable. Seita looked back at his sister and nodded with a smile.

"You're right, Setsuko. I'm completely crazy for her."

It seems that both Setsuko and I were taken aback at Seita's answer. I had been curious to know how he would react, but I wasn't expecting him to answer like that. Seita gave me another warm smile, making my cheeks burn. Setsuko's surprised look turned back into her teasing grin.

"So are you really crazy, Nii-chan? Do you love Yuki that much? Head over heels?"

"Yep."

"How much do you love her?"

"More than anything." Seita continued to smile at his sister's questions.

"More than you love food?"

"Oh, much more than that!"

"More than you love me, Nii-chan?"

"Hey!" Seita kneeled down in front of Setsuko and gave her a light bonk on the head. "I didn't say that. That's a different kind of love. You can't compare the two! You are both the most important people in my life."

"Really?" Both Setsuko and I asked simultaneously.

Seita grinned at each of us in turn. "Really, you are." He ruffled his sister's hair and smiled and nodded at me. Setsuko looked back and forth between the two of us and giggled.

"Nii-chan and Yuki sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" At Setsuko's taunting chant, Seita and I gave each other terrified looks. He stopped blushing and went to stand behind his laughing sister, who continued singing. "First comes love, then comes marriage, the-!"

At the last second Seita put his hands on Setsuko's mouth to quiet her. He had a mischievous grin on his face as he chanted the last part of the song. "And then comes Setsuko in a golden carriage!"

Setsuko wriggled in her brother's arms until she finally freed herself. She looked so angry, I was surprised steam wasn't coming out of her ears. "I'm not a baby, Nii-chan!" She retorted. Seita simply smiled at her.

"Oh, sure you are Setsuko!" He pulled her into a playful headlock. "Yuki and I are the ones who are practically raising you! It makes perfect sense that you're the baby!"

"Ah! Let go 'a me, Nii-chan! Let me..." Setsuko's angry shouts were muffled by Seita's arms covering her face. It was quite an amusing sight to watch. The little sister was a raging mini volcano struggling in the grasp of the mellow, big brother mountain.

"What is all this commotion about?" I turned around to see Obaa-chan coming out the door. When she saw the mentioned volcano and mountain, she began to laugh. "Oh, my, what's happened now?"

"They're just being siblings..." I chuckled.

"Yes, I can see that! Oh dear...!"

"Nii-chan...!" Setsuko managed to say. "I can't breathe..!"

With that, Seita loosened his grip on his sister and patted her shoulder. "Okay, you little pest, have it your way. And now I think we'd best be off. I've gotta go to work, and you've gotta go to school! If we don't hurry now, we'll be late."

"Seita, your lunch!" I called out as I held the bag in the air.

"Oh, yeah!" Seita ran back to retrieve it. "Thanks Yuki. You're a saint!" He gave a nod and a smile to Obaa-chan and I before hopping on his bike, Setsuko sitting in front. As they rode off down the path, the siblings began to sing. "Hey let's go! Hey let's go! I'm happy as can be!"

I watched the two of them ride away with a smile on my face. Once they were out of sight, Obaa-chan turned to me and smiled. "You're genuinely in love, you and Seita... I am very happy for you." She started to chuckle some more. "I bet you'll have beautiful children together!"

"Obaa-chan..!"

* * *

**Yeah, I put in another Setsuko moment there. I just thought It'd be interesting to see what she thought of her brother and Yuki being together, and I can definitely see why she might feel that Seita might love Yuki more than he loves her. But Seita's reply is absolutely right: They are different kinds of love that can't be compared to each other...**

**And of course, I made a reference to My Neighbour Totoro by having the kids sing part of the theme song.**


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER 27: SEITA**

I woke up one morning in mid-July to hear the usual sounds of Yuki preparing breakfast. After getting up and stretching I woke up Setsuko, who became angry with me because I had interrupted her sweet dreams. I apologized to her and went outside to go to the bathroom. After doing my business and walking back towards the house I looked up at the sky. The rising run was turning it into a nice shade of orange and my shadow stretched across the dewy grass. I took in the morning scents with a deep breath, followed by an sigh just as large.

"Oh, good morning Seita!" Yuki greeted me as I walked into the kitchen. "Did you sleep well? I'm not quite finished with breakfast yet, so you'll have to wait a few minutes, okay?"

"Don't worry, Yuki. It's alright with me."

"Really, Nii-chan?" Setsuko asked from her place at the table. "I thought your stomach was a bottomless pit. You're always hungry first thing in the morning!"

"Be quiet, Setsuko!" I said to my sister through clenched teeth. "I'm trying to be polite, you hear me?"

"Oops... Sorry Nii-chan!"

Within the next few minutes Obaa-chan joined us at the table and breakfast was finished. We all sat down and had our usual conversations as we ate. Today was a Friday, and since the amount of construction work that needed to be done was getting less and less, the boys and I were given a few extra days off. I was looking to get a job in one of the local factories sometime, but for now I could just take my sister to school and relax at home.

Once we were all finished eating, Setsuko and I hopped onto my bike and we rode off to her school. The building had been expanded in the past year to make room for more students. Now there were two large rooms that divided the grades. At the school gateway, my sister met up with her friends before filing into the building at the sound of the bell. Since I didn't have to go to work today, I turned around and headed back for home.

It felt very strange to go home after dropping off my sister. For the past few years I would go to work first thing in the morning, six days a week. Sure, I liked not having to work so much, but now my routine was all messed up. Now I was just going to be sitting at home all day with nothing to do. Yuki would be busy doing the chores, so I wouldn't be able to take her anywhere. I considered hanging out with Takeshi and the guys, but then I came to the decision that I didn't want to be near those clowns.

The orange sky was turning blue as I pedalled my bike down the gravel road. I could see our house on that small hill in the distance. Maybe I could just eat leftover breakfast, read the newspaper and have a nap when I got home. Like any teenage boy, I was very fond of sleeping and eating. As I headed for the door, I could hear Yuki singing as she worked.

I'm in the middle of a muddle

In the middle of a muddle am I

I wanna have fun, I wanna have fun

But the work is piling high

I'm in the middle of a riddle

In the middle of a riddle, oh my

I'll never get done, I'll never get done

Because I'm only I

It seems my work just never stops

The rooms turn into rooms

Oh, how I wish my feet were mops

And my hands were brooms

I'm in a topsy of a turvy

In a topsy of a turvy, it's true

I wish I were twins, I wish I were twins

I'm in the muddle in the middle of a muddle

And I can't muddle through

I gave a chuckle as Yuki came to the end of her little song. She heard me and turned around to welcome me inside. I noticed that she was, indeed, in a topsy of a turvy. There were plenty of dishes that needed to be cleaned and put away, and laundry that needed to be washed and hung to dry. Morning hadn't even ended and already Yuki was looking exhausted. To think that it was like this for her every single day - no holidays or nothing. This was one thing I admired about her, but today it looked like she was going to need some help.

"Say, Yuki..?" I asked with a modest smile. "How be I help you out of that 'middle of a muddle?' I mean, I'm not doing anything, and you seem so tired. I, uh... I can lend you a hand... Heck, I'll do it all if you want! Just say the word and I'll hop right to it."

"Oh, Seita, thank-you...!" Yuki seemed pleasantly surprised at my offer. Just that simple reaction made me glad. "Thank-you so much! I'm so relieved! Mind you, I'll still do a little more work, but yes. I wouldn't mind the help."

"You're welcome." I gave a slight bow as I spoke. "You do so much around here, Yuki. You deserve a break once in a while. It's my pleasure to help you and I say that with complete honesty. Now what would you like me to do?"

"Well, I can finish the dishes on my own, but there's still the laundry to wash. Could you do that for me, Seita? I'd appreciate it!"

"Of course! I told you I'd do anything, right?"

"Oh thank-you, Seita! You're the saint today!"

I walked into the living room with a huge grin on my face. I liked the fact that I'd have something to do now. But more importantly, I loved the fact that I was helping Yuki. I whistled that tune she had been singing as I looked around for the washtub. Sure, she was no longer in the middle of a muddle, but it was still a catchy tune.

Following Yuki's instructions I got out the washtub and began to fill it with water from the pump. Yuki, meanwhile, finished the dishes and went into the bedroom to have a nap. I told her to rest as long as she needed to. Once I was finished the laundry I would ask what else needed to be done. I would even go pick up Setsuko for her in the afternoon. She wouldn't have to do any work today whatsoever.

When the washtub was filled I added a bit of soap and got the laundry basket. I stared out the back porch absentmindedly as my hands scrubbed the clothing. Until I could get a job at the factory I would be free every Friday. Maybe that could be Yuki's day off work. I smiled at the idea. Perhaps I could do the chores every Friday so she wouldn't have to. It was so perfect!

I chuckled to myself as I turned to look at the clothing I was washing. My smile instantly became a look of horror and I hastily dropped the, um... female undergarments back in the water. I shuddered in disgust as I wiped my hands on my shirt. I couldn't believe I had actually touched that thing. How embarrassing! Then I realized how stupid I had been and felt like kicking myself.

"You're such an idiot, Seita..." I muttered to myself. "Think logically! You're living in a household with three females! Of course you're going to come across things like this, so you'd better get used to it..." I gave a small groan. "No wonder doing the laundry is a girl's chore..."

I took a deep breath before I hesitantly continued to scrub the undergarments. "Okay... Just grin and bear it, Seita. Remember, you're doing this for Yuki. Sure, you might have to do things you're uncomfortable with, but if it's to make Yuki happy, that's alright. Heck, I'd do this all the time if it made her smile! Oh, I'd do anything to see that smile...!" I let out a long sigh before thinking, "I'd also do anything for her to not be angry with me. When Yuki gets mad... just... be afraid. Be very afraid...!"

For the next while I continued to wash the clothing. I soon got used to holding the undergarments and concluded that it wasn't as terrible as I had thought. When I had finished, I went into the bedroom where Yuki and Obaa-chan were resting and asked what I could do next. My next chore was to clean the outhouse. Another messy job, but like I said, seeing Yuki's smile made it all worth it. After that was done I went to pick up Setsuko at school. My sister laughed all the way home as I told her of the day's events.

Even when Setsuko and I arrived home, Yuki still didn't have to do any work. We volunteered to make supper as well. Obaa-chan asked us if we needed help, but we told her we wanted to do this on our own. My sister and I even had a little fun in trying something different. I knew the food wouldn't be as great as Yuki's, but hopefully it would still be okay.

"Can we eat it now?" Setsuko asked once the table was set. "All that cooking has made me hungry! Obaa-chan! Yuki! We've set the table, so can we eat now?"

"Don't worry, dear. We're coming...!" Obaa-chan called from out back. "I might be as slow as a turtle, but I'll get there eventually...! Yuki, please help me, will you?" Obaa-chan soon came into the room leaning on Yuki's shoulder. Once they had both sat down, my sister could hardly contain her excitement. I told her we didn't have to wait much longer.

After we all said "Itadakimasu - I gratefully receive," we each put some food in our bowls. Since Setsuko was so excited, we decided to let her have the first bite. With a smile, my sister picked up some of the food in her chopsticks and shoved it in her mouth. Her chewing abruptly stopped and her smile faded into a look of disgust before forcefully swallowing.

"Uh... I have to, uh... go to the bathroom! Please excuse me!" With those words my sister jumped up from her sitting position and bolted out of the room. I knew the real reason for her abrupt exit was to go throw up.

Those of us who were still sitting at the table stared after Setsuko before looking back at the food on our plates. I looked across the table at Yuki with a nervous chuckle. She cautiously picked up some food in her own chopsticks and put it in her mouth. After swallowing she took some more.

"Don't worry, Seita." Yuki assured me gently. "It really isn't as bad as Setsuko makes it seem. Go on and try it!" Obaa-chan and I took her advice and tasted the food. We both agreed that it was okay.

"It's not bad, but nothing can beat your meals, Yuki... Now I'm really grateful for what you do. I mean... If it weren't for you, Setsuko and I would died... from our lousy cooking!" At my comment, everyone began laughing - even Setsuko, who had come into the room. Between her laughs she apologized for her rude behaviour, and promised she would give the food a second chance. Obaa-chan had since stopped laughing and was happily eating her meal.

"Oh, Seita, it isn't lousy at all!" Yuki reassured. "It's the thought that counts..." As she spoke, she gave me that sweet, tender smile that made my head spin, the kind that made everything worthwhile.

* * *

**If you want to know what the song is, it is called "I'm in the middle of a muddle" and is a deleted song from the 1950 Disney film Cinderella. I thought if Yuki sang a song while she worked, it'd be this one.**


	28. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER 28: YUKI**

That day Seita promised that he would do all the chores for me every Friday. Once he could get a job at one of the city's factories, he would help out whenever he was free. I felt very grateful to him, and pleased that he was willing to do all this for me. Sure, for the past few years Seita had been a good and helpful friend, but lately he was doing so much more than I ever expected. It was actually very thoughtful and sweet of him.

On the next Friday that came around, Seita did all the work while I relaxed. The next day we did the chores together, and we were finished in no time. After we had all eaten lunch, Seita suggested that he could take Setsuko and I to the beach, since we hadn't been there for a while. Setsuko, of course, was excited and couldn't wait to get out the door. I was just as happy as the seven-year-old, and I could feel the ocean breeze already.

Our mode of transportation would be Seita's bike for some of the way, though we would take a streetcar once got downtown. Obaa-chan told us to go on ahead - she would just nap while we were all gone. We promised to bring back groceries with us, along with something that she might like. The sky was blue and cloudless as Seita began to pedal the bike down the road.

"Hmm... It's a bit of a tight fit, isn't it, Seita?" I asked. It had been a while since I had ridden on Seita's bike, though he and Setsuko did frequently.

At my question Seita gave a shrug. "I don't know, Yuki. I guess our butts have gotten a little bigger in the past while...!" Though I was sitting behind him, I could see his shoulders shaking. He was clearly laughing.

The hairs on the back of my neck bristled. "Are you telling me my butt is big?"

Seita immediately stopped laughing. Though I couldn't see his face, I could sense that his expression said something along the lines of "Oh, god, what have I done..." He gave a nervous chuckle. "Uh... No, Yuki, I didn't mean that. I was talking about Setsuko and I. Our butts are getting big, but not yours. Your butt is about the same as normal..."

"How do you know how big my butt is, Yokokawa Seita!"

"Kuso...!" Seita cursed under his breath. I could hear Setsuko giggle at her brother's inappropriate language. He noticed this and said, "Sorry, Setsuko. Pretend you didn't hear that. And don't you dare repeat it, either..." He paused for a second before saying, "And my apologies to you too, Yuki. I really didn't mean to offend you. No hard feelings?"

"No...!" I burst into laughter. "Not much anyways!"

"Oh! Well, that's..." Seita sighed with relief. "That's great...! So you really aren't that angry with me?"

"Of course not, you're a guy. You can't help yourself..."

"Wha...? No! I, uh...!" I could tell Seita was embarrassed and desperate to change the subject. "Um... Hey, Setsuko! We haven't sang any songs in a while. Is there any song you want us to sing right now?"

"Hmm..." Setsuko thought for a minute. "Why don't we sing the Carp Streamer song?"

"Okay...! Carp streamer it is...!"

With a great big streamer shaped like a carp in the wind

The big one's the papa and the little one's the kids

We love to watch them swimming freely and so high

Oh how fun it'd surely be to swim in the sky

The three of us took turns picking songs to sing all the way to the train station. Setsuko stared out the window with anticipation, trying to see if she could see the part of the beach we usually went to. After getting off at the next station we walked the rest of the way, with Seita leading his bike. The instant we got there Seita and Setsuko bolted for the water. I laughed at their shouting as they were getting used to the cool water.

For an hour or so it was all fun and games. Though Setsuko couldn't swim as fast as Seita or I, she was getting much better. We would have races and contests in the water, though Seita was usually the winner. We would also draw in the sand, and both Seita and I were impressed at how much Setsuko's drawing was improving. And sometimes we would just simply swim around and splash each other. Whatever we did, it was always great fun for the three of us.

Once we had all had our fun we decided it was time to make our way home. On the way back, we would buy groceries and make an offering at the grave of Seita and Setsuko's mother. The hill on which her ashes were buried looked beautiful as always. I may never have met my friends' mother, but she must have been a very kind woman to have such nice children. As we gave the offering I prayed alongside the two siblings for her spirit to be happy.

On the next Saturday that came along, Setsuko had made plans to spend a few hours at the Nakamura house. Unfortunately she got sick the day before and couldn't go. I would have to inform the Nakamura's as I went to get that week's groceries. Seita insisted that he go instead, but I told him to look after his sister and Obaa-chan for me. Setsuko was very disappointed that she couldn't see her friends.

"But, Yuki! I really wanna go!" Setsuko complained. "I wanna see Baby Tsukiko too!"

"I'm sorry, Setsuko. I wish you could go, but I'm sorry." I began to pick up my bag but I was suddenly reminded of something. "Oh! Before I leave, you ought to take your medicine."

"Again?" Setsuko asked with a grimace on her face. "But I just took it a few hours ago!"

"Exactly!" I replied as I got the bottle and spoon ready. "It will be wearing off soon, so you'd better have some now before you start feeling sick again."

"But it's the medicine that makes me sick! It tastes awful!"

"I know, Setsuko. But it's better to be safe than sorry. Now open wide..."

Setsuko, at first, refused to listen to me and tried to run away. Seita stopped her just in time and gently pushed her back in my direction. He was trying to keep a stern expression on his face, but just couldn't hold back his chuckling. Setsuko looked back in forth between us and finally surrendered by opening her mouth as wide as she could. She made a wry face the instant she tasted the foul-smelling tonic. We couldn't help but laugh at her expression as she swallowed with a loud gulp and a shudder.

"There, there, Setsuko..." I said as I washed the spoon. "That wasn't as bad as you thought it was going to be now, was it?"

"Um..." Setsuko pondered. "Actually, it was... Yecch...!"

Seita's eyes turned to look at me, then he burst out laughing. I started to laugh as well, but not at Setsuko's comment. "Seita..." I said as I picked up the bottle and spoon again. "You won't be laughing ten seconds from now. You're next. We don't want you getting sick as well...!"

Now it was Seita's turn to run. He kept withdrawing until his back touched the wall. When he realized that his retreat was blocked, he gave in. As he swallowed the medicine, his expression echoed that of his sister's. Obaa-chan, who had come inside from the backyard, laughed along with Setsuko and I. She took a dose of the tonic herself before laying down in her room to rest.

Now that the medicine-taking was out of the way, I was now ready to leave. I picked up my bag and began to head out the door. "You guys be good, okay? I don't want to come back and find the house burned down!"

"You can count on us, Yuki." Seita smiled. "We'll be alright!"

"I'm sure you will...!" I smiled back. "See you later, Setsuko. I'll say hi to the Nakamura's for you, okay? I'll check on little Tsukiko too!"

"Thanks, Yuki." Setsuko replied. "Too bad I can't see her today. I wish I could have a baby sister. Babies are so cute! They're so little and funny and..." She paused and thought for a minute. "So where do babies come from anyways...?"

I immediately stopped in my tracks and my mouth gaped. The day that Setsuko was going to ask that dreaded question had finally arrived. Then I realized that I didn't have to answer her right now, as I was going out. I simply smiled at the seven-year-old and said, "If you really want to know, I will tell you as soon as I get back, okay?" I chuckled to myself. That would give me plenty of time to think of a good explanation.

"But I wanna know now! Tell me!"

"What...? Why do you want to know right now?"

"Because...!"

"Because why?"

"Because, because!"

"Oh, this is going nowhere..." I put an hand to my forehead and sighed. Then an idea came to me. "Say, Setsuko! I really have to go right now, so I can't tell you what you want to know." I looked over at Seita with a mischievous smile. "But your brother can...!"

At my comment Seita's eyes widened in shock. "You wouldn't...!" I responded with a cruel, malicious nod before heading out the door and closing it behind me. Seita quickly opened it again and ran after me. "Yuki, please! You can't do this to me!" After catching up to me he put his hands on my shoulders and lightly shook me. "Please don't leave me to do this on my own! I'm begging you! Don't do this to me! Please, Yuki...!"

I merely gave him another cruel smile before lightly pushing him away. "Have a nice day, Seita." I said casually as I started walking away. "I'll see you again in about... three hours!"

"Yuki...!" Seita whined after me. "Please, don't...!"

"See you later, guys!" As I headed down the path, I whistled cheerfully. I completely ignored Seita's pleading.


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER 29: SEITA**

I looked on in despair as I watched Yuki walk away. How could she just abandon me like this? Now I was going to be stuck for three hours having to explain the birds and the bees to my sister. At first, I decided that maybe Obaa-chan could tell Setsuko. Then I decided I didn't want to disturb the old woman's sleep. I sighed and went back inside the house.

"Okay, Setsuko..." I said wearily. "What do you want to know?"

"I wanna know where babies come from!"

"Yes, I know that! But what do you want to know, specifically?"

"Everything!"

"Everything...?" I gave a small groan. Oh well, I guess I'd just have to get it over with sooner or later. There was no way I could stall my little sister for three hours. "Alright, Setsuko... I'll start from the beginning. You see... For there to be a child, they have to have a mother and a father... So, uh... When a man and a woman love each other very, very much... They, uh..."

"You and Yuki love each other a lot. Would that mean she's gonna have a kid?"

"No! Just... No!" I felt my cheeks burning up. My sister just had to ask the most embarrassing questions right off the bat. I composed myself as much as possible and continued. "No, that wouldn't be possible. Yuki and I, uh... We... aren't married. Yeah...! That's it..."

"So..." Setsuko inquired. "You have to be married to have kids?"

"Uh..." I decided not to lie to her. "No. Not necessarily, but it's much preferred that way."

"But you have to love each other, right?"

"Again, not really, but these days it's preferred."

"So if it's still possible, how come Yuki's not having a kid?"

Just when I thought that bad feeling had left, it returned._** Oh, god, how am I going to explain this? **_"Um... Well, Setsuko! It's just that Yuki and I have never done... that..."

"Huh? What do you mean? Never done what?"

I felt my face turn deep red. This was getting more embarrassing by the minute. "That..." I mumbled between my teeth.

"What do you mean by 'that'?"

"You know...! _**That!**_" I felt like hitting myself. _**Oh yeah... **_I thought. _**She doesn't know what "that" is...! That's why we are having this conversation! The whole purpose of this conversation is to tell her what "that" is! Okay, calm down, Seita. Everything is gonna be alright! Thing's can't get any worse than this...**_

Unfortunately it did get worse. Much worse. Setsuko's questions about everything had become downright embarrassing for me. I was in a panic, and I bet my face had never been such a deep shade of red. I decided I just couldn't take the stress anymore. I told my little sister I needed to go to the bathroom before hurrying outside.

As I marched across the backyard to the outhouse, I grumbled and swore under my breath. "Gee, thanks a lot, Setsuko and Yuki... Yes, I know you two are very important to me. It's just that right now, I really hate your guts! Thank-you, Setsuko, for asking the embarrassing questions! You too, Yuki, for leaving me in this awkward situation in the first place...!"

When I reached the outhouse I slammed the door behind me. I didn't really have to go to the bathroom. It was just an excuse for me to think things through and calm down. While I sat there, I even thought of getting back at Yuki. But how? I concluded that I perhaps I could make a mess or something and have her clean it up. That would be the ultimate payback for her. But then I realized I just didn't have the heart to do that. That would be downright cruel.

In the end, I decided to let go of my stubbornness and do what I was supposed to do in the first place. Just tell Setsuko what she wanted to know. For five minutes, I sat there deep in thought, until I felt I was completely calm. I now had it all planned on how to explain everything to my curious little sister. I had even prepared for any other embarrassing questions by thinking up answers ahead of time.

Setsuko and I sat on the large rock out back as I explained the birds and the bees. Sure, there were still a few uncomfortable situations, but by now I could handle it. Fortunately, my sister didn't mention Yuki again in the discussion. When I got to the more graphic details, she seemed a little grossed out, but she was still as attentive as ever. By now, things were going much better than I thought they would.

When I finished explaining most of the important stuff I asked Setsuko if she had any more questions for me. She simply stared off into the distance at nothing in particular. That was understandable. I guess learning about all that would be a slight shock for someone like her.

"So..." Setsuko broke the silence. "The Nakamura twins were right..."

I felt myself turn pale. "Say what...?"

"The last time I went to the Nakamura's I really liked to see Baby Tsukiko. When Tsuyoshi and Tamotsu and I were playing, they told me their mom had told them how babies were made. I asked them how, and they told me. When they were finished I laughed at them. I thought they were just teasing me. But I guess they weren't..."

"So..." I practically choked up my words. "You knew the whole time?"

"Kinda..." My sister replied. When she saw my anguished expression she chuckled a little. "Don't worry, Nii-chan! You did much better at explaining it than they did!"

"Re... Really?" I was slowly recovering from the shock.

"Yeah! You actually answered my questions!"

"Oh! Well, that's..." So all that discomfort wasn't completely all for nothing. In fact, it had been an interesting conversation between my sister and I. "That's great, Setsuko...!"

"So what was it like when I was born, Nii-chan?"

"When you were born? Let's see..." I thought back to when I first became a big brother. "Well, Setsuko, you were born in 1941. That would have made me ten years old. It was early evening, and Father and I were waiting in the kitchen for news about Mother and you."

"Was Daddy nervous at all?"

"Maybe a little bit, but that's natural."

"What were you thinking, Nii-chan?"

"What was I thinking? Well..." I thought about it for a minute and wondered whether or not to be honest. I smiled and continued speaking. "To tell you the truth, Setsuko, I was just like any other boy in hoping for a little brother. When the midwife came out and gave us the news that Mother had given birth to a little girl, I was all..." I scrunched up my face, making my sister laugh. "Like this...!"

"You did that? Nii-chan!" Setsuko was laughing, so I was glad I hadn't offended her. I laughed right along with her.

"Well, that's how I reacted! I'm not gonna lie to you! I had had high expectations of my having a little brother. At first I was all like, 'A _**sister**_? No way!' And when Mother was spending all her time looking after you, I remember thinking 'Why did they do it? Why did Mom and Dad decide to have another child? Why?' I just couldn't understand why..."

I looked at Setsuko to see that she was still listening attentively. I felt her forehead to check for a fever before I continued. "And then, one day, Father was away and Mother had to rest because of her heart problems. Therefore I was responsible for looking after you that day. I remember looking at you and sticking out my tongue and saying 'What are you looking at?' But you just stuck out your tongue right back at me from your little cradle!"

"I really did that? Wow...!" Setsuko was practically jumping up and down in excitement. I told her to calm down so she wouldn't get sick, so she shook my arm instead. "So what else did I do, Nii-chan? Anything else?"

"Well, like I said, you liked sticking your tongue out at me! You giggled a lot too. Anyways, when you first did that, I remember looking at you and thinking 'You know what? You are actually kinda cute...' And that's when I decided that you weren't so bad after all! I also decided that from then on, I was going to be the best big brother I could be. Now I was glad that Mother and Father had made a baby, 'cause if they didn't, I wouldn't have you, would I?"

"Hmm..." Setsuko pondered, "I guess not!" She looked up at me and smiled. "You know what? I'm glad too! And I'm also glad that you're my big brother, Nii-chan. Tsuyoshi and Tamotsu might not think so, but you really are the coolest big brother in the world..."

With those words my sister hugged me tightly. I chuckled and hugged her back. "So your friends haven't stolen my position after all... Yes, Setsuko, I don't know where I'd be without you. But I do know that, although you hate being called a baby, that's not gonna change anything I think. Sure, you might not be a baby anymore, but no matter how big you get, you will always be my little baby sister..."

Setsuko broke out of the hug and beamed up at me. "Really, Nii-chan? For always?"

"Always and forever, Setsuko...!"

I saw something out of the corner of my eye and I turned to see Obaa-chan walking over to us. "Oh, isn't this so sweet..." The elderly woman smiled. "Well, I don't mean to bother you, but I'm just letting you know that lunch is ready."

"Lunchtime already...?" I asked. "I'm so sorry, Obaa-chan. If I had known what the time was, I would have made lunch."

"I don't mind, Seita. You kids are helping out so much that I'm getting lazy! I figured that it would be nice for me to do some work around here and get off my bottom!"

Both my sister and I laughed at Obaa-chan's comment before heading inside to eat lunch. I smiled as I thought of the day so far. I realized I wasn't angry with Setsuko or Yuki anymore. What I had expected to be a complete disaster had turned out to be a rather humorous bonding time with my little sister. Well, I guess there a lot of things that happen that you don't expect, whether it's explaining the facts of life, or experiencing life in general.


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER 30: YUKI**

As I headed into town, I was still chuckling to myself. I wondered just how Seita was handling the questions of curious little Setsuko. I could just picture him tearing out his hair and cursing me for "abandoning" him. Would he be able to survive for three hours without me to help him? I felt slightly guilty and admitted that I had been rather cruel to Seita. Then I changed my mind and concluded that it wasn't my fault that a little girl had questions that needed immediate answers.

I wandered throughout the stores and markets buying the weekly groceries and whatnot. The items on my list were a little different each week, so that our meals wouldn't be boring. Of course, we only bought what was affordable. Sometimes when I shopped I would see familiar faces and wave. Sometimes I would see my friends and have conversations that lasted for hours. So far today I hadn't seen anyone I knew.

"Hey, Yuki!" A voice called out to me as I left the store. I turned to see Hiroshi and Satsuki walking down the street towards me. During the past year they had decided that it was best to remain friends rather than have a romantic relationship. Nevertheless, this didn't mean they weren't inseparable. I smiled and waved them over.

"Hello guys! How are you today?"

"We're doing fine." Hiroshi replied. "And how are you, Yuki? Things going well between you and Seita?"

"Oh, I think we're alright!" I smiled. My friends had long known about the growing attraction between Seita and I, and were always curious to know how things were going.

"So has he... kissed you yet?" Satsuki asked with a teasing smile. I shook my head. "Seriously, he hasn't?" My friend seemed a little shocked at first, but then calmed down. "Oh well, I can see why. There aren't too many times when you're alone together, are there?"

"Don't worry, Yuki. There'll be an opportunity someday." Hiroshi assured me. "And I bet it'll be someday soon, too. Just ask any of the guys at work and they'll all say the same thing. He's crazy for you, Yuki. He's absolutely crazy."

"Oh, I've noticed that!" I laughed. "In fact, he's said that out loud in my presence!"

"Wow...!" Satsuki exclaimed. "Hey, look! I can see Yoshiko over there!" We all looked to where she was pointing. Yoshiko was walking on the other side of the street with her own bags of groceries. She noticed us calling to her and waved. After making sure the road was clear of traffic, she crossed and joined us.

"Hello there." Yoshiko nodded to each of us. "It's a nice day, isn't it?"

"Yes it is, Yoshiko. The weather's just great!" Hiroshi replied. "Not a cloud in the sky today... And how are you doing? What's new?"

"Um... Nothing."

"Nothing?" Satsuki asked. "With that look on your face, there can't be just nothing."

"Well..." Yoshiko seemed hesitant to speak at first, but then she looked each of us in the eyes before saying, "My parents have arranged for me to get married..."

Satsuki, Hiroshi and I all looked at each other before looking back at our friend. Arranged marriages weren't as common as they were in our parents' time, but they were still there. Between the three of us, I was the first one to speak. "And... How do you feel about it?"

"I'm alright, I guess. It feels strange, but it doesn't really upset me. In fact, I like to think of it as a new adventure and a next step in life." Yoshiko reached in her pocket and handed something to Satsuki to hold. "This is the man they've matched me up with."

Satsuki stared at the photograph and whistled. "Wow...! He's so handsome! Here, Yuki, take a look!" I glanced at the photo and agreed that he was, indeed, good-looking. Satsuki took another look before turning back to Yoshiko. "I'm so jealous of you! So what's his name, huh?"

"His name is Fujiwara Isao - I've met him a few times and... and he's very nice. I think he'll be a good husband to me. He lives in Fukuyama, and in about two weeks from now, I'll be heading there to live with his family until the ceremony. It'll take place in a month."

"Oh..." I wasn't quite sure what to say. What do you say when one of your friends just blurts out not only that they're getting married, but leaving town? Hiroshi came to my rescue.

"Well, if you're alright with it, well... You have my best wishes for you and your family. And you'll be here for the upcoming festival, won't you? That way we could all spend some time together before you leave."

"Yes! Yes, I'll be here!" Yoshiko had brightened up significantly at Hiroshi's suggestion. "Yes, that's it! Our whole group could hang out one last time... Well, it's not like I'll never see any of you again... Oh, why am I feeling so down? This is going to be great!"

Everyone agreed with her and cheered up. For the next few minutes we chattered happily, both about the festival and Yoshiko's marriage. After a while we all went to eat at a nearby restaurant. When it started getting late, we parted ways for the day with smiles on our faces.

As I walked home I thought back to Seita and Setsuko. I wondered what I would find when I got back. Would Seita be angry with me for leaving him with the difficult task of explaining the facts of life? Would Setsuko be grossed out by the details, or would she just be fine with it? Or did Seita come up with a genius way to put it off until I got back? Knowing Seita, any of those options were possible.

When I arrived home, I put my groceries down on the table before walking into the living room. Obaa-chan was relaxing on the porch while Seita and Setsuko were drawing on leftover newspaper. "Hello everyone!" I said as I sat down in front of them. "How are you?"

Seita looked up from his drawing and gave me a warm smile. "Hello, Yuki. We're all doing fine. Thanks for asking."

I couldn't help but smile back at him. "You're welcome. And..." I began to chuckle. "And how did things go for your little... 'inquiry,' Seita?"

"Oh... that..." Seita looked slightly embarrassed, but quickly recovered. "It went fine, Yuki. Things turned out much better than I thought they would."

"So..." I smiled playfully. "You're not angry with me?"

"Nope. Not anymore anyways..." Seita grinned and chuckled. "To tell you the truth, I was so angry at first, that I wanted to get back at you in any way I could. But then I calmed down and just told Setsuko what she wanted to know. We even got talking of when she was a cute little baby, and it was a nice conversation. So now I want to thank you, Yuki."

I have to say I was very surprised at Seita's answer. "Oh... You're welcome...!" I looked at Setsuko. "May I see your drawings, Setsuko?"

"Sure!" She handed me the newspaper. All over the page, birds flew in the sky and flowers dotted the fields. "Wow, Setsuko...! When you grow up, you're going to be famous!"

"You really think so?"

"I know I think so!" Seita ruffled his sister's near-shoulder length hair. "And when you're a rich and famous artist, I can yell to the world that you're my baby sister!"

"Nii-chan...!" Setsuko giggled. "I know I'm your baby sister, but don't tell the whole world!"

"Sorry, Setsuko." Seita chuckled. "But I'll have to tell somebody!"

"Okay, you two, quit arguing!" I jokingly scolded the siblings. After lightly bonking each on the head I headed to the kitchen. "Hopefully you'll be good while I get the supper ready." I called over my shoulder.

"Yuki, wait!" Seita stood up and followed me. "You've done a lot today. Setsuko and I will make supper tonight, right Setsuko?"

Before Setsuko could answer I began laughing. "I've done a lot? You've had to put up with all that stress earlier! It's alright, Seita, I can manage on my own."

"Yuki, I strongly insist that Setsuko and I do it for you. Besides..." Seita looked over at Obaa-chan. "Obaa-chan's promised to help us so we don't kill anyone with our cooking!"

"I didn't say that, Seita." Obaa-chan exclaimed as she stood up. "I just wanted to do a little more around here. I also told you I'd help improve your cooking, but that doesn't mean I think it's bad at all!"

"Same difference..." Seita muttered as Setsuko and Obaa-chan walked past him and into the kitchen. As he watched them leave he began to roll his eyes, but abruptly stopped when he noticed me staring at him. His annoyed expression dissolved into an apologetic one and he gave a small chuckle. "Ah...Sorry... I'm being disrespectful, aren't I?"

I wasn't completely sure what to say at first. "Um... maybe a little." I thought a minute before saying, "Well now, I guess this means I'll have to let you cook supper! You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Seita shrugged. "Well, how else was I gonna?"

"Seita! Why you...!" I broke into another fit of laughter. "You're very persistent, aren't you? Oh well... I guess that just proves how good a person you are! Thank-you...!"

"You're welcome, Yuki." Seita replied with that same warm smile.

"Nii-chan!" Setsuko called from the kitchen. "You said you'd help with supper, so how come you're not here yet?"

"Okay, okay, Setsuko! I'll be there in a second." Seita called back as he started to walk toward the kitchen. Suddenly he turned around and marched back toward me. Before I could say anything he leaned over and kissed my cheek. After looking me in the eyes for a split second, he seemed to look embarrassed. He gave a slight nod before hurrying into the kitchen, leaving me standing there in a daze.

"What's wrong, Nii-chan?" Setsuko asked in the kitchen. "Your face is all red."

"Alright, Seita, what happened?" Obaa-chan joined in. "What were you and Yuki doing in there when we weren't looking?"

"N... Nothing..." Seita responded.

All the while I just stood there, my friends' words going in one ear and out the other. "Seita, whatcha do that for...?" I said absentmindedly. "That's... That's my job..." Still in an elated state, I walked into the bedroom to rest, my hand on my cheek. I still couldn't believe that Seita was the one that had kissed me this time. When I think about it now, I believe that my mumbled words were right. It was just another job that Seita had volunteered to do for me.


	31. Chapter 31

**CHAPTER 31: SEITA**

For the next few days, the upcoming festival was the talk of the town. A few years ago, it was just a small little celebration. Since then it had gotten bigger and better than ever, and everyone I knew was planning on going. Even though this was a fairly casual event, it was a good opportunity to show off your best clothing, and this was especially true for the girls. I had recently bought Setsuko a pink and red kimono for this purpose. She was very happy when she received it, as she would fit right in with the rest of us.

Our plans for that night were quite complicated. Obaa-chan, Setsuko, Yuki and I would for town as a group before splitting up into our own groups. Obaa-chan and Setsuko would join with all their friends as a large group. Yuki and I would go off with our own groups of friends and meet up later. After hanging out for a while we would all get back together until Obaa-chan and Setsuko went home early, leaving Yuki and I on our own.

I was especially looking forward to the time when Yuki and I would be alone. I wanted to look my very best for then, so I decided I was going to try something different with my hair. On the night of the festival I stood in front of the water pump getting my hair wet and combing it to the sides. Obaa-chan walked past me as I did this and gave me a questioning look, one eyebrow raised. Perhaps she was surprised that I was actually concerned about my appearance. Or maybe it was because I looked ridiculous. I was praying that it was due to the former option.

Once I was finished with my hair, I looked in the mirror. I personally thought I looked like an idiot, but it was Yuki's opinion I was concerned about. Girls do dig this kind of style, don't they? I might not like it that much, but surely Yuki would. Still looking in the mirror I put on my coat, trying to straighten it as best I could. Finally, I put on a recently bought dark blue flat cap. Satisfied with my appearance, I decided to go see what the others thought.

I walked over to the bedroom and poked my head through the doorway. Setsuko was sitting in front of another mirror as Yuki was combing her hair, still wearing their casual clothing. Obaa-chan was getting their kimonos out from the drawers. When Yuki finished combing my sister's hair, she made a single braid with a red ribbon. Setsuko was delighted that she could finally have braided hair like she had always wanted. I smiled at them and decided to make my entrance.

"Hey guys." I said as I lifted my cap. "How do I look? See my hair?"

The three of them looked at each other before staring at me and my slick hair for a few seconds. Setsuko was desperately trying not to laugh. Obaa-chan gave me that one-eyebrow-raised look again. Yuki put a hand to her mouth to hide her chuckling. And that's when I decided that maybe I did look like an idiot. Not only that, I felt like an idiot.

"Seita! Your hair looks...!" Yuki stood up with an amused grin. She turned her head to the side as she inspected my hair. "It looks, um... different...?"

"Don't you mean stupid?" I replied glumly.

"Oh, no, it's not stupid! It's just... It doesn't really suit you very well."

"Yeah! It looks weird!" Setsuko piped up. She ignored Yuki's scolding and grabbed a chair and stood on it beside me. "Don't worry, Nii-chan, I can fix it!"

With that, my sister began to ruffle up my hair in an attempt to make it look neat. "Ah, Setsuko! You're tickling me!" I laughed. "Oh come on! Stop it will you? I mean it, Setsuko! Stop it right now!"

"Yes, Setsuko, I think you should stop." Obaa-chan told my sister. "Besides, I'm not quite sure his hair looks any better than before. I actually think it's even worse..."

I walked over to the mirror and took a look. My hair was all messy and spiky. "Yeah, I think you're right, Obaa-chan." A thought came to me and I started laughing again. "You know, if I walked down the street with this look, I think people would say 'Hey! Why is there a porcupine roaming around town?'"

"Oh, Seita, you don't look like a porcupine...!" Yuki assured as she walked toward me. "Here. I'll help you fix it up. That way it will look nice, but still look like you. Setsuko, watch what I do." She began to brush through my hair with her hand. "See what I'm doing, Setsuko? I'm making it more neater, but not slick. I'm not ruffling it, either."

As Yuki was speaking, my eyes kept looking back and forth from up to where her hand was to our reflections in the mirror. I imagine things were already looking better, but all I could think about was Yuki's hand stroking through my hair. The feeling of her touch was exhilarating, and my mind was starting to feel a little fuzzy. The movement of her hand gradually slowed, and although I had a feeling that Yuki was starting to realise the effect she was having on me, I wasn't really paying attention.

I felt like my cheeks were burning up. My eyes started to droop a little and my mind was rapidly going blank. I was desperately trying not to give in, desperately not wanting to admit that I liked it. One part of me said, _**I'm gonna lose my mind if Yuki doesn't stop, and I **_will not _**say I like being pet on the head like a kitten!**_ Another part of me said, _**So what if I lose my mind? This really doesn't feel so bad! I hope she doesn't stop...**_ I closed my eyes and sighed blissfully.

Suddenly I felt a small hand hammer down on my head. I could have swore I jumped five feet in the air. In my shock I reached up and blindly felt around my head. I didn't feel anything but a throbbing headache. When I felt someone tap my shoulder I slowly turned around to see Setsuko standing on her chair before me.

"Hiya, Nii-chan! Is your head out of the clouds yet?"

"Setsuko, wha...?" I looked around the room frantically. Yuki and Obaa-chan were in the corner laying their kimonos out on the floor. Looking at my sister, I pointed at them, my finger faltering. "How did...? What ha...?"

Setsuko started to laugh uncontrollably, and Yuki and Obaa-chan joined in. My cheeks started to burn again, though not in a good way this time. When the others had calmed down, they explained that when Yuki had finished with my hair, I had just stood there in a trance. Since Yuki had to get her kimono ready, Setsuko was in charge of making sure I didn't fall over. I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me right then and there.

"Are you sure you're alright, Seita?" Yuki asked with concern in her eyes. She walked toward me and put a hand on my shoulder. "You're okay?"

"Uh... uh... yeah..."

The concerned look turned into a playful smile in an instant. The hand on my shoulder lightly pushed me backward. "Well, that's great, Seita! We've gotta change now, so you'd better wait out there." She turned me around and pushed me out the doorway. "Go on. Scram. Get outta here. Out, out, out!"

The door slammed behind me, so I decided to sit down in the kitchen and wait. Whenever a female has to change, it always takes forever. And since I was gonna have to wait for three different females, it was probably going to take thrice as long. While I waited, I decided to go look in the other mirror to see if my hair looked any better. Fortunately it was just how Yuki had worded it, as it looked nice, yet still suited me. I stared at my reflection for a minute or so, said "Hello, handsome," went back to the kitchen and waited another five minutes.

After what seemed like forever, the door opened and my sister came running out in her pretty new kimono. I wasn't used to seeing her with a braid in her hair, though it did look nice.

"My, my, Setsuko! Don't you look pretty." I patted her on the head. "You're friends are gonna turn green with envy when they see you wearing that!"

"That's just what Obaa-chan and Yuki said!"

"Then I'm sure that's what will happen."

"See, Setsuko? Didn't I tell you how nice you look?" Obaa-chan said as she walked into the kitchen. She wore a dark purple kimono with a pale red sash. "Now, how do you think I look, you two?"

"You look great, Obaa-chan." I said. "You've got good taste for someone so..."

"Old?" Obaa-chan replied with her usual chuckle. "Don't worry about that. I know you mean well." She turned to look at the doorway. "Now we just have to see Yuki..."

My eyes immediately turned to the doorway. Yuki cautiously walked through the doorway wearing that same blue kimono I had bought over a year ago. Around her neck was her jade-green necklace, and her flowered hairpin decorated the hair-bun in the back of her head. I felt proud, as I had bought all three of those things for her. The instant she smiled at me, I shot up out of my chair, my mouth gaping. I suddenly found my knees couldn't support my weight, so I ended up sitting back down.

"Wow...! Kirei...!" I breathed in awe. I briefly looked her up and down, though once my eyes met hers, they locked and couldn't look away. "Oh god, Yuki... You're...!"

"You look really pretty!" Setsuko exclaimed. "Even prettier than me!"

"Yes, Yuki, you look absolutely lovely." Obaa-chan nodded to her. She looked at me and smiled some more. "Don't you think she's just beautiful, Seita?"

All I could do was nod with an empty-headed smile. Yuki's cheeks turned pink as she looked around at each of us. "Oh, stop it all of you. You're exaggerating! I really don't look that different than normal..."

"Exactly..." I finally said. "Not all that different. You're pretty all the time... All that fancy stuff just makes it a little more obvious."

Yuki's eyes widened briefly and her cheeks went from pink to deep red. "Thank-you..." Although the two of us stared and smiled at each other for only a few seconds, it felt like hours.

"What are we all standing around here for?" Obaa-chan interrupted. "We have a festival to go to, don't we?"

"Yeah, let's go! Come on! " Setsuko shouted. She whirled around and zoomed out the front door. "I can't wait to show my kimono to my friends!"

"Setsuko, dear, don't run so fast!" Obaa-chan called after her. "You won't be able to show off your kimono if you ruin it!"

"Sorry, Obaa-chan..."

"Hey, Setsuko!" I said as I followed my sister out the doorway. "I wonder how the Nakamura boys will react when they see you like that. You think you'll knock 'em dead?"

My sister laughed at my question. "You mean you think they'll react the same way you did when you saw Yuki just now?"

"Hey!" I playfully bonked her on the head. "Be quiet, you!"


	32. Chapter 32

**CHAPTER 32: YUKI**

The sun was sinking below the horizon as our group of four walked along the roads toward town. Setsuko walked a few feet ahead of the rest of us, singing a traditional festival song. Obaa-chan was quietly humming along and commenting on how perfect the weather was for a festival. I felt a little embarrassed when I realized that Seita was spending half the time staring at me. Eventually I turned to him with a frown, to which he caught on. He gave me an apologetic look and turned to face ahead, not looking at me for quite a while.

Certain streets and squares were blocked off to traffic in the city, so there was plenty of room for crowds. It was a good thing too, since the festival had gotten so much bigger and popular over the years. When we got close to the area, we all looked around in amazement. There were small booths lining the streets wherever you looked, selling everything from food to trinkets. I knew that once we could cross the street, I would head straight for the jewellery booth.

No speed was fast enough for Setsuko though. "Well what are we waiting for!" The seven-year-old exclaimed. "Come on, let's go!" She bolted out onto the road.

"_**Setsuko! Stop!**_" Seita cried out. He reached out and dragged his sister back onto the sidewalk. At that instant a car zoomed by, the driver honking its horn and cursing. Seita gave Setsuko a stern look. "Don't you _**ever**_ do that again, you hear me?!"

"Yes, Setsuko!" I chided. "Please try to be careful. We don't want you to get hurt."

"Oh, that was close!" Obaa-chan gasped. "It's a good thing that you're alright, Setsuko." She looked both ways on the streets. "I think the way is clear now. Let's go."

"Hooray, let's go!" Setsuko hurried across the street as fast as she could. Seita and I looked at each other and groaned. Did that girl completely forget about what had just happened?

As soon as we were across the street, the lively atmosphere seemed almost magical. The lanterns hung around were lovely, but they'd be even lovelier when it got darker out. I looked around for the nearest jewellery booth and made a beeline for it. Fortunately, there was a food and candy booth right next to it, so Seita and Setsuko wouldn't have to just sit there and wait for me. In the end, however, I decided not to buy anything, as I was happy with what I had. I rejoined Seita, Setsuko and Obaa-chan, who were having fun pigging out on sweets.

After a while our group ran into the Nakamura family. Obaa-chan got talking to Nakamura Kasumi and admired Baby Tsukiko. Mr. Nakamura complimented Seita on how hard he had worked on the construction projects over the years. When Tsuyoshi and Tamotsu saw Setsuko in her kimono, their eyes widened and they whispered to each other before saying hi to her. Afterwards, Seita and I made bets on whether or not Setsuko was going to end up marrying one of the twins. Whether that actually happened or not is another story.

Seita and I continued on our own until we met up with Takeshi, Yoshiko and their gangs. We all chatted excitedly together, and all us girls took turns looking at the photo of Yoshiko's fiancé. All the guys, including Seita, rolled their eyes at us, not understanding what the big deal about a dumb photograph was. After we all had a glance, we headed over to the game booths and competed against each other. The Knockout game soon became a favourite, where we had to knock down a pyramid of tin cans. Watching how our friends fared in the numerous rounds resulted in us all laughing out loud many times.

Soon it was my turn to step onto the platform, pitted against Yoichi. He took a ball and threw with all his might. In the first try, he knocked over every can and won a large prize. When it was my turn to throw I did terribly, as the ball didn't go anywhere near the pyramid. I failed a second time, and then a third.

"Good try, Yuki." Seita said as he patted my shoulder. "Maybe next time."

"Hey, Yokokawa, get up here!" Yoichi called from the platform. "I challenge you!"

"Sure thing, Yamada." Seita replied. "Time for me to defeat the undefeated..."

Both boys took turns tossing balls and knocking over cans, all of us cheering for them. It turns out that Seita was just as good as Yoichi, and their round ended with a tie. Takeshi insisted that they keep going until one of them lost, but they both declined. We all discussed for a minute and decided we'd each have one more turn. After all, the game was free.

"Okay, Yuki, see how I've turned my body like this?" Seita asked. "Do what I do." While we were waiting for my turn, he was giving me a tip on how to aim the ball. "Okay, that's good. Now just step forward and let it fly...! Uh, that is, when you're actually holding a ball..."

Eventually it was my turn to try again. I remembered how Seita had showed me how to do it. I let it fly - and knocked down all the cans. Hiroshi, with whom I was competing against, looked a little shocked for a second, but composed himself and took his turn. I still wasn't the greatest, but I was a lot better. I knocked down more cans than ever before. When I was finished, Seita jokingly said he regretted teaching me that - I was going to use that skill to throw something at him one of these days! Occasionally over the next few years, he was proven to be right.

After everyone had finished taking their second turn at the game we called it quits so others could try. We split up into our individual groups of friends, or to be more precise, we split up into our own gender groups. Seita went with Takeshi and the guys down the street to hang out, but promised to come back when the dancing started later. The girls and I stayed in the area browsing the shops. I still didn't buy anything, but it was still fun to look at all the colourful merchandise. Satsuki went crazy with the necklaces, and Yoshiko bought the prettiest flower ornament to decorate her long hair.

"That looks so beautiful on you, Yoshiko." I commented. "You should wear it when you go live with Isao. I bet he'd like it a lot!"

"Yeah!" Satsuki added. "You'll knock him dead!"

"Oh, I can do that already! Yoshiko laughed. "You should've seen his expression when we first met in person!"

"Really?" I asked. "What was he like?"

"Well..." Yoshiko thought a minute and gave a chuckle. "When I walked in the room when my father was introducing me, poor Isao shot right up out of his chair! And I bet his jaw was halfway to the floor!"

"No way...!" I exclaimed. "That's exactly how Seita reacted when he saw me in my kimono earlier this evening!"

"Oh, wow!" Satsuki breathed. "I guess us girls really can control guys! I'd give anything for a guy to look at me like that...! Eyes widened and jaw dropping... I'd kill for that look!"

"Well, you can kill me right now and everyone will look at you like that!"

"Hey! That's not what I mean...!"


	33. Chapter 33

**CHAPTER 33: SEITA**

"Come on in, Seita!" The fortuneteller beckoned. "Let's see what your future holds, son."

While Yuki was hanging out with her friends, the guys and I had come across the same fortuneteller from a few years ago. Since we were starting to run out of things to do we decided to kill some time there. Strangely, Takeshi must have had something in mind, as he seemed overexcited to hear his own fortune, and he blundered in after me as I entered the booth, followed by the rest of the group.

"Oh goodness!" The fortuneteller exclaimed when she saw the others. "I don't usually have more than one reading at a time."

"Sorry, ma'am." Takeshi said with a smirk. "But we all wanna hear each others' fortunes at the same time, don't we guys? We all don't mind, do we?"

"Nope." The other guys responded. "Not at all."

"Very well..." The fortune teller said. "Let's start with Seita here, shall we? What would you like to know about your future, young man? Oh don't tell me... You want to know who you're going to marry." At the fortuneteller's words, the guys all looked at me with smirks but still listened attentively. "Well, this girl is-"

"Wait!" I interrupted. "On second thought, I'd like that one to remain a mystery. Could you come back to me?"

"Sure thing, young man." The fortuneteller nodded. "Well then let's have Takeshi go next, shall we? What would you like to know? Wait, don't tell me! You want to-"

"I want to know how I'm gonna die." Takeshi said with a bold smile.

Everyone was silent for three seconds. Then some of the guys began patting him on the back. "Good going, Takeshi." Yoichi whispered. "That was awesome. This is gonna be good..."

"Let's see... Are you sure you want to know?" The fortuneteller asked hesitantly. When Takeshi nodded eagerly, she continued. "Your death will be tragic and sudden. You will be quite young when you perish in a factory accident. You will leave behind a wife and six children..."

"Woah..." Takeshi awed, not seeming to hear the tragic-young-widow-part. "Is it violent at all? Explosions?"

"I don't think I'm going to go into details..." The fortuneteller replied flatly. "Let's move on to Yoichi. What questions do you have?"

"Same as him." Yoichi said pointing to Takeshi. "How do I die? Is it as cool as his?"

"Saying one's death is "cool" doesn't seem right, but yours is also untimely, though it will be brought upon yourself."

"You mean suicide? No way! I really can't see myself doing that..."

"Don't worry, Yoichi." Takeshi whispered. "Who says it's true? All we're doing is just having a little fun."

"What about me, ma'am?" Daisuke asked. "How do I die?"

Yoichi leaned over to whisper in my ear. "I'll bet his clumsiness will kill him...!"

"Well..." The fortuneteller replied. "Later on in your life you will be depressed and thinking about suicide, but you will decide not to carry it out. And not long after you will meet someone special who will stay by your side until you pass away in your sleep..."

"Holy... That was pretty complicated." Daisuke said

"Of course it is for his wee small brain..." Yoichi whispered to me again.

"And now we're back to you again, Seita. Same question as the others?"

"Um..." I couldn't think of any other questions to ask. "Sure, ma'am. But I also want to know what my last words are."

"Alright." The fortuneteller said. "Your death... You will die peacefully in your sleep, although I don't know how old you will be... Anyways, you will be holding a family photograph in your hand, and your last words will be 'Sweet dreams, my darling,' and then you will close your eyes and never wake up."

"Wow..." I said. "That was pretty neat stuff..."

"God, that was so lame..." Takeshi mumbled.

"That was more complicated than mine..." Daisuke added.

"Small brain..." Yoichi whispered.

When it was Hiroshi's turn, he didn't ask how he was going to die. I was a little relieved at that. Sure, the fortuneteller may not be accurate, but I still didn't like hearing how each of my friends was gonna die. Even if they were a bunch of idiots. Anyways, Hiroshi asked what kind of girl he was going to marry. According to the fortuneteller, this girl would be a good wife to him and a good mother to his single child. I was glad that he had a good future. After all, other than me, he was the only sane person in our group of friends.

By the time we all payed the fortuneteller it was almost time for the dancing. As we walked towards the large square, we ran into Obaa-chan and Setsuko and all their friends. I told the guys to go on ahead so I could stay and talk to them for a minute.

"Hiya, Mr. Yokokawa! How's it going?" Tsuyoshi asked.

I chuckled. "I'm doing fine, kid. But don't you get tired of calling me Mr. Yokokawa?"

"Nope!" Tamotsu replied. "Besides, we respect you, so we wanna be respectful-ish! And calling you Mr. Yokokawa sounds cooler, too."

"Respectful-ish..." These kids always managed to crack me up. "But are you sure it sounds cooler? I mean, calling me Mr. Yokokawa implies I'm old, doesn't it?"

"Nuh-uh!" The twins shook their heads. "If you were, we'd be calling you Ojii-san (Grandpa)!"

At the boys' comment I began to laugh along with Setsuko, Obaa-chan, and Mr. and Mrs. Nakamura. "Okay, okay, you win! So you're absolutely sure you want to address me in such a respectful way? Why not just call me Nii-chan like Setsuko does? Then you can say you've got a cool big brother like myself!"

"Hey! Don't bring that up again, you sore loser!"

"Yeah, sore loser!" Tamotsu agreed with his brother. Both boys began chanting, "Sore loser! Sore loser! Nah Nah Na Nah Nah!"

"Tamotsu! Tsuyoshi!" Mrs. Nakamura scolded. "That's enough!"

The Nakamura boys stopped chanting and looked sheepish at all of us. "Sorry..."

"That's right! You should be sorry!" Setsuko added. "Don't you say such things to my big brother. Only I'm allowed to do that, so _**back off!**_"

"Setsuko!" I exclaimed in shock.

"What? I was defending you!"

"_**Setsuko...!**_" This time my voice was stern.

"Sorry, Nii-chan... Sorry, Tamotsu and Tsuyoshi..."

After what seemed like five minutes of everyone apologizing to everyone, Obaa-chan told me that she and Setsuko were going to head home. Setsuko, still a very active little girl, wanted to stay a while longer. However, when she learned her friends were going home too, she decided it wouldn't be as fun without them, and agreed to go home with Obaa-chan. We all said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways for the time being. I headed straight for the large square where the dancing was going to start any minute.

By the time I got to the square, the first dance had already started, the music at a jazzy and lively pace. From what I heard, there was going to be different styles of dancing all night. Looking through the crowds I saw some of my friends swinging with their partners. After a while I caught sight of Yuki, who was sitting on a bleacher watching the dancers. Although she looked as pretty as always, she also looked lonely sitting there on her own. When she saw me she brightened up significantly and waved me over.

"Here, Seita!" Yuki called while patting the space beside her. "I saved you a spot!"

"Thanks, Yuki. I could use a rest." I plopped down beside her and gave an exhausted sigh. Suddenly a water canteen appeared in front of my nose, as Yuki had shoved it in my face.

"You must be thirsty after all that walking. Go on, take it! You need your fluids."

I was slightly shocked at the random object. "How did you...?" Where _**did**_ she get that from? I then decided it didn't matter as I really was thirsty. That and the fact that there was absolutely no point in arguing unless you were looking for trouble. I took the canteen and grinned at her teasingly. "Yes, _**Mother**_..." I gulped the water down until the canteen was empty. "Ahh... Refreshing! Thank's again, Yuki. What would I ever do without you?"

For a few minutes the two of us sat there watching the festivities. Yuki smiled as she gazed at the beautiful lanterns and decorations, and I smiled as I gazed at her beautiful face. It was funny, really, that I never noticed how pretty she was until years after we'd met. Maybe that was because she was a lot happier now than when the war was going on. She had me and Setsuko and Obaa-chan as her family, and that's what made her smile so bright. But then again, maybe it was because I had been too stupid to notice. Probably a little of both.

I sighed as I watched my friends having fun as they moved in time to the music. I didn't know anything about dancing, and I knew Yuki didn't either. But even so, I was just aching to ask her. We would probably come off as a couple of fools, but it wouldn't hurt to try. When the next dance was about to start, I mustered up my courage.

"So, Yuki... Do you like dancing?"

"I don't know." Yuki replied. "I've never danced before."

"Me neither, but... Would you like to? I mean, would you... want to dance... with me?"

"You and me?" Yuki looked startled. "But... I can't dance! Seita, shouldn't you know by now that cripples can't dance...!"

I patted her shoulder. "But you're not a cripple, so you'll be just fine!"

"But I don't know how! I'll look like an idiot!"

"Well, me neither, so we can be idiots together! Besides..." I looked at those already dancing. "This one looks easy enough. Fast enough to be fun, but slow enough that it's easy to follow. Even those wearing kimonos can do it. We'll just do what they do. Come on!"

I grabbed Yuki's arm and practically dragged her onto the open area. Takeshi, who was taking a break on a bench, gave me a wink and a thumbs up. Yuki and I looked around at the other dancers. They all were moving around in circles, their feet moving this way and that. I'm not sure what the dance was called, but when Yuki and I tried imitating them, it seemed more complicated than I thought. Our hands joined, the two of us "danced" around the area, feeling more than a little awkward. We looked at each other, smiling and joking around at how stupid we must seem looking like this.

Thankfully though, we got used to it afer a while and were more comfortable. Yuki seemed to be doing fine despite her leg and kimono and was even enjoying herself. Seeing her so content made me happy too. When that round of dancing ended and another began, we decided to give it another go. The music picked up and once again we headed back to the dance floor. I held out both hands to Yuki and when she took them we stepped forward and back, shifted from side to side, and boogied to "Tokyo Boogie Woogie". This time around, things were a blast and by the time the round was over, we were both laughing.

"Well, that was fun!" I laughed as we sat back down on the bench. "You know, I think we did even better than I thought we would!"

"Yes, Seita, I think so too." Yuki replied. "But we should still take some lessons for next time though...! Oh, boy, I'm so tired..."

"It is getting late. Why don't we start heading home?"

"That's a good idea. Just let me go say goodbye to my friends and we'll be on our way."

Yuki got up and headed to where Yoshiko and the other girls were sitting. I knew it was important to her, as it wouldn't be long before her friend had to leave for Fukuyama. The girls all hugged and wished each other well. I watched them for a few seconds, then turned my focus to those still dancing. Eventually, Yuki came back to me, and we both started to head home.

* * *

**And I tried to avoid the cliche Dance of Romance where the characters ****_suddenly realise they can dance_**** and it's all lovey-dovey and stuff... But if you want to know what song Seita and Yuki "danced" to, it's called Tokyo Boogie Woogie (AKA Tokyou Bugiugi or 東京ブギウギ****) and was written in 1947, a year before the setting of this current chapter. You can look that up on Youtube as well if you're interested.**

**And another thing, you might think that that fortuneteller bit was just random crap, but not quite so. Remember it if you are interested in the upcoming improvement of a sequel.**

**Alrightey! Two more chapters to go, people! We're doing okay... :)**


	34. Chapter 34

**CHAPTER 34: YUKI**

Seita and I were laughing together long after we had left the excitement of the city. We walked along the quiet country roads talking about the night's events. The sound of crickets chirping created a calm atmosphere that contrasted the faint noises of Kobe's bustling nightlife. A few fireflies were glowing here and there, and I felt so peaceful and content. Sure, it was nice to enjoy the lively festivities, but it was a relief to just enjoy the quietness and relax.

"Seita, don't you think it's nice just walking around and relaxing like this?"

"Yeah..." Seita gave a small chuckle. "But we all had a lot of fun back there, didn't we?"

"We sure did!" I agreed. A sad thought came to me though, and I sighed. "If only my family were here with me. I bet Kayoko and Hisako would have loved to play with Setsuko... And my parents would have loved to see how far we have all come over the years... Oh, how I wish you could have met them..."

Seita's expression was as serious as mine, and he looked into the distance. "Yeah... I sometimes wonder how things would have been if my parent's hadn't died, or if the war had never happened. Things would sure be awful different... For one thing, if the war had never happened, Setsuko and I would never have met you. And even if we did, we would never be as close as we are now."

"That's true..." I sighed. "Oh, what am I saying, Seita? Sorry for talking about such depressing things...! I really shouldn't be playing the 'what-if' game..."

"Well, Yuki, I do think you're right in a sense." Seita replied. "What's done is done, and what's happened has happened. But that doesn't mean we don't have to think about our loved ones. And you know what...?" He turned to me and smiled. "I think that if we were to know each other, despite the war not happening, my mother would have loved you."

I smiled a little. "You... You really think so?"

"Oh, sure she would've!" Seita smiled with me. "That last time you went to visit her grave with me and Setsuko, I could almost see her smiling at you. And during the various times you promised to keep us out of trouble, I could almost hear her chuckling."

Seita's comment made me chuckle, too. When he insisted he was telling the truth, I clapped my hands in prayer and looked up. "Excuse me, Mrs. Yokokawa, but if what you're son is saying is true, thanks for looking out for me." I looked over at Seita, then back up to the sky. "And if what he is saying isn't true, please tell him for me that he's an idiot!"

Seita instantly put a hand to his forehead and doubled over in his laughter. Because it was contagious, we just stood there like that for five minutes laughing ourselves breathless. I even thought I heard a third voice laughing, so maybe Seita really was telling the truth. When I had calmed down, I asked him if he heard his mother call him an idiot. In another burst of laughter, he replied that he hadn't, so perhaps he was right.

We both eventually calmed down and continued walking. Every time I turned to look at Seita, I would catch him gazing at me with a gentle smile. And every time that happened, I would quickly look away, blushing furiously. But when I looked at him again, I saw that his expression had turned a little serious again.

"Yuki..." Seita's eyes were attentive and calm. "I just want to say... thank-you..."

"For what?"

He gave a little lopsided smile, but didn't look away. "Everything..."

"Oh, yes, that's very helpful, Seita!" I chuckled. I immediately regretted saying that when I saw Seita's slightly disappointed expression. I stopped chuckling and I looked him in the eyes. "Go on... What's 'everything'...?"

"Well..." Seita replied. "Thank-you for being... you." He looked embarrassed and chuckled as he gave a unusually sheepish grin. "I mean, you're very kind and helpful. Always looking after things... Always knowing what to do. And you do so much around here, Yuki. And what do I do? Nothing... Just nothing at all..."

"Oh, Seita, of course you do something!" I patted his shoulder. "Remember: It's the money you earn that puts food on the table."

"Yes, yes, I know that!" Seita exclaimed while waving his hands in the air. "But I just wish I could do something that helps you, personally!"

"But you do lots of that, too! Who's been helping me with chores every Friday without me asking? Who works so hard to support us all, and who is the one who gives me so much encouragement? You've done all that and much more."

He stared ahead for a minute, deep in thought. After a while he slowly nodded. "Yes... I guess you're right, Yuki. But I just wish I could do even more..."

My cheeks were blushing as furious as ever. I was so moved by Seita's words I didn't know what to say at first. But Seita continued talking, and he had a caring smile on his face the whole time. "But to get to the point, Yuki... you're... It is your kindness... and a lot more than I can explain that's made me feel... how I feel..."

I finally figured out what to say. "I admire you too, Seita, because of how thoughtful you are... and caring and hardworking, too. You'd risk your life for those you love. Sure, you can be a little too proud at times, but you've got me to help put you on the right track..."

I trailed off suddenly. Why did my words sound so familiar? Where had I heard them before? Then I was reminded of a certain fortuneteller, but I decided to just ignore it for now. Looking over the fields, I noticed little glowing dots floating around. "Look, Seita! Fireflies!"

Seita looked to where I pointed. "Oh, yeah, I see them! They sure look pretty, don't they?" And they were very pretty. They sparkled and glimmered just like tiny little stars. Seita turned to me with yet another smile. "It's been a long time since we've caught fireflies. Why don't we catch some right now? I mean, if it's alright with you..."

I smiled and nodded in agreement. With that, we headed over to where the fireflies were glittering. Once we were wandering down the paths that divided the fields, it was like heaven. For five minutes straight, Seita and I went crazy cupping the glowing insects in our hands and showing each other our catch. Although we were perfectly happy on our own, it was almost a shame that Setsuko wasn't here with us. She would have loved the fact that there were millions of fireflies everywhere you turned. It felt almost as if Seita and I were walking among the stars.

"Hey, Yuki, look at this one!" Seita exclaimed as he released another firefly.

"Wow, that's the brightest one yet! Oh, here's another one!" Both our eyes followed the little firefly that hovered in between us. It was almost like a contest to see who would catch it first. I reached out my hands at lightning speed, Seita's a split second after me. In the end, I was the one who caught the firefly - but it was Seita who had caught my hands.

Once more, I began blushing furiously, my head spinning. Seita quickly apologized and took his hands off mine, his face as red as a tomato. I opened my cupped hands and released the firefly. We both watched as it cautiously floated upwards until it rejoined the others in their mysterious ritual. Seita and I turned back to each other and neither of us looked away. His mouth twitched a little, then slowly turned into a tender, affectionate smile. My own smile reflected his.

Without taking his eyes off mine, Seita slowly reached out and took my hands again. I felt a warmth spread throughout my body. Whether that warmth came from his hands or the look in his eyes I still don't know. I was starting to slip off into a dreamlike state. I was starting to become completely unaware of my surroundings. It seems the same was happening to Seita, for all he did was stare at me with a calm smile. It was the same smile he had given me back when he had first "told" me his feelings as I had bandaged his arm on that summer's day.

We stood there like that for a minute or so, our hands joined, our smiles gentle and our eyes sparkling brighter than the fireflies. Seita's expression suddenly turned serious. His eyebrows were raised slightly and his dark brown eyes looked as if they were asking me a question. Knowing what that question was, and knowing my answer, I took a tiny step forward and nodded. Seita, meanwhile, looked relieved and faintly sighed. With a determined, calm look, he began to lean forward. My heart racing and head spinning, I leaned in as well, closing my eyes. A few seconds later, I felt his lips softly pressing against mine.

That kiss may have lasted anywhere between five to twenty seconds, but they were the most wonderful few seconds of our lives. Nothing seemed to matter, and it felt as if the world had paused just for us. My legs felt weak as I was filled with happiness, and I slowly put my arms around Seita's neck. If he hadn't put his arms around me, I probably would've fallen over. The faint chirping of crickets and the cool summer air made everything so calm and peaceful. The feeling of our lips touching was so magical, just like the fireflies.

When we parted, my heart was still pounding. I couldn't think straight, and I couldn't believe what had just happened. _**Seita and I... we just kissed...!**_ We both smiled and stood there in a dazed silence. It felt so warm being in Seita's arms and leaning against his shoulder. His face may have been crimson red, but he still looked confident all the same. As he let go of me, his smile became a huge grin, and he gave a small chuckle. Unable to contain himself, his chuckling burst into giddy laughter. I stood there in surprise for a second before I began laughing with him.

A firefly flew in front of Seita's face, and he watched it until it was a good distance away. Suddenly he gave a loud whoop, ran at full speed and leaped into the air, catching the firefly in his hands. Beaming as happily as a young child, he opened his hands to show me his catch. Another firefly flew in front of me, and I reached up as high as I could and managed to cup it in my hands. I smiled in Seita's direction, only to find that he was farther away. I followed him as fast as I could, despite my bad leg, catching fireflies all the way.

When I look back at that night, I believe that every moment was pure magic. First of all, there was the festival, where we all had a good time with our friends. Then there were the games, where we all cheered each other on, encouraging them to do their best. There was the dancing, where Seita and I enjoyed ourselves, even if we both had two left feet. There was the calm night and its quietness that made us both feel so peaceful and content. And then there was that first kiss that Seita and I shared, to which the glimmering fireflies were the only witnesses.

* * *

**Yes, it finally happened, people, and I hope that kissing scene was entertaining enough for you guys. It was a pain in the butt, yet interesting figuring how to write it out, and I'm satisfied with the results. Nice, romantic and sweet, just like how all romances should be :)**

**You know, when I look at this scene, I think of how drastically this fic has changed from my original ideas. When I was just beginning to write the LotF Series, the ending I had in mind would be Seita and Yuki falling in love and getting married... but not to each other! I originally planned for them to have a more of a sibling relationship and having their own love interests. And then I realised how, given the circumstances of the upcoming sequel, it would just make things unnecessarily complicated with the alternating POVs. **

**So then I thought, "Why not have them end up with each other?" And so I did. But even then, it was different. The idea of the storyline was changed to having them marry before their twenties, not out of love, but as a feeling of duty to take care of each other, much like they had during the war. They would have had thoughts such as, "I have to marry them. No one else could ever truly understand what I had been through during the war. We've been together all this time, so why not the rest of our lives?" This would have had a negative impact on their children, and would have shown how war can affect more than one generation in it's aftermath.**

**But then I thought, "Writing this would be so goddamn depressing... Can't I lighten up the mood a bit?" And so I did. And although I am still not completely satisfied with the results (mostly, but not completely), I think I made a good choice to write it this way, rather than with my previous ideas. I might not be a great writer right now, but I'm slowly getting there...**


	35. Chapter 35

**CHAPTER 35: SEITA**

With the silver moonlight shining on the gravel pathway, Yuki and I continued on our way home. The only differences one could see was that we were now holding hands, and that we both had loving smiles. The differences one couldn't see on the outside were the emotions we felt inside. I didn't think it was possible for Yuki's face to look more lovely, but that serene, wistful smile proved me wrong. As for myself, I had never felt happier with her. I had finally kissed her and it was the greatest feeling, knowing that she was just as elated as I was.

In fact, I still wasn't completely right in the head, but who says that's a bad thing? Normally when you walk on gravel it's loud and it hurts your feet. But it wasn't like that at all this time, as I barely noticed it. My feet felt like they weren't touching anything, or at least something very light and soft, like a cloud. I guess it was then when I first had that walking-on-air sensation, and I didn't want it to end. Even though we had been walking for quite a while, I wasn't the least bit exhausted and if it were possible, Yuki and would have just kept walking, hand in hand, forever.

Eventually though, we came to the three-way crossroads where our house was in sight. There was a faint light coming from the front window, so maybe Obaa-chan and Setsuko were still up. For the first time in a while, I spoke.

"Well, we've finally made it home." I chuckled a little. "And I guess we haven't taken too long, because it looks the same as always."

"You're right, Seita." Yuki laughed. "I would've thought the trees would be taller!"

"Yeah...!" I replied. "But I'm glad it looks the same as always. Home, sweet home... You know, I really like this place, but it'll sure feel lonely when you and Setsuko..." I trailed off. It had been years since the day Obaa-chan had told me I would inherit the house and the surrounding property. Of course, when Setsuko grew up and got married, she would have to move out. The same thing would apply for Yuki, too, but I didn't want to think about it.

"You mean when Setsuko and I have to leave, right?" Yuki said my thoughts aloud. "It'll be quite a shame when the time comes... I do wish we could stay here, but then it would be pretty crowded..." Yuki hesitated a little before saying, "You'd have your family and I'd have mine..."

I stopped dead in my tracks and I felt myself turn pale. Yuki had just voiced the very thing I did not want to think about. The fact that she could possibly be with someone else in the future made my heart sink. Sure, that was reality, but it still hurt to think about it, even more so since it was Yuki who had said it. To be more specific, it didn't just hurt. It felt agonizingly painful. The look on my face must have showed it, because Yuki put a hand on my shoulder.

"But I've got a better idea than that." As Yuki said this, I turned to look at her. She had her usual sweet smile, and it confused me. "Your family and mine... what if they were the same?"

"Huh...?" I didn't get what Yuki meant at first. And then it hit me, and the agonizing feeling dissolved in an instant. For a few seconds, all I could do was stare straight ahead with a rather dopey grin. I didn't speak until I half got over the shock. "You know what...? I think that's... not a bad idea at all...!"

Yuki responded by tightly hugging me. Once I could breathe again, I made my decision then and there, no doubt about it. I had made up my mind completely, and nothing was going to make me change it. As soon as I could, I was going to get a good job at one of the local factories. I was going to work hard every day until my back broke. I was going to earn a good deal of money and save it up. It was definitely going to take a while, but I knew that if I did this, I would ensure that when the time came, I would have the most beautiful ring for Yuki.

Now I know what you're thinking. Probably something along the lines of "What are you, nuts? How can you, a seventeen-year-old, even be thinking of a marriage that hasn't been arranged by your elders!" But can you really blame me? Yes, I was young, but I was also madly in love. And I was going to make sure I could provide for the future. Besides, the idea popping into my head at that moment is a lot different than popping the question on the spot. Only someone as ignorant as Takeshi would do something like that.

Anyways, Yuki and I soon found ourselves in front of the home we both loved so much. Like I said before, there was a light on, but there was no sound whatsoever. Maybe Obaa-chan and Setsuko had just decided to leave the light on for us when they went to sleep. We took off our shoes and stepped inside. Walking into the kitchen we saw that two steaming bowls of rice and other things had been set on the table, ready to eat.

"Oh, wow!" Yuki exclaimed. "Obaa-chan must have prepared this for us. Oh, I can't believe I'd forgotten how hungry I was!"

"Me too." I replied as I rubbed my stomach. "But then again, I'm hungry twenty-four hours a day. But heck with that! Let's dig in!" I sat down at my regular place at the table and was about to cram a chopstick-ful into my mouth but stopped. Putting the chopsticks down I made a hand motion for Yuki to sit down across from me. "Ladies first." After we gave thanks for the food, I waited for Yuki to start eating before I finally did cram that chopstick-ful into my mouth.

Because Obaa-chan and Setsuko were sleeping, any conversation we had was quiet. Yuki kept getting annoyed though, because I'd try to make her laugh out loud with my jokes. Yes, it would be rude to wake the others, but I think the main reason it irritated her was that none of them were funny at all. Strange how you are never funny when you intend to be, but when you don't intend it, you're hilarious. Oh well, Yuki didn't threaten to kill me, so I guess I wasn't that bad. I even heard some laughter, but then I realised it wasn't coming from Yuki.

"Shh... Quiet, Yuki I think I hear something." I whispered. Sure enough, I heard movement of small footsteps coming from the living room doorway. "Yep, there's definitely something over there."

"Maybe it's a squirrel..." Yuki replied quietly. Then she scrunched her nose and made a face. "Or maybe it's a rat...!"

"Nah, squirrels are better. Cuter anyways... I'll go check." I slowly got up and went into the living room. I scanned the area a few times until heard a little sneeze coming from the closet. I marched towards it and opened it quickly. "Aha! There you are!"

"Aw, man...!" Setsuko's voice echoed in the closet. I pulled out my little sister and brushed the dust out of her hair and nightclothes. Chuckling at the evil eye she was giving me, I called back to Yuki in the kitchen.

"Uh, Yuki...? Would you really mind the fact that a little squirrel has been spying on us?"

"A squirrel?" Yuki exclaimed in horror. "You've actually found a squirrel in there?"

"Yep!" I grinned. "It was hiding in the closet. A pesky little thing, but I still think it's kinda cute. Come and see!"

"Okay..." Yuki cautiously walked into the living room. When she saw my dust-covered sister struggling in my arms she burst out laughing. "Oh, my! That is a cute little squirrel!" I let go of Setsuko, and Yuki walked in circles around her as if inspecting every detail. "You know, Seita, this squirrel looks familiar. What an uncanny resemblance to your sister!"

"Yes, you're right!" I played along with a huge grin. "But as cute as it is, it's still a pesky little squirrel. We have to get rid of it right away!"

"That's right! We don't want it to spread diseases!" Yuki took hold of Setsuko's arm. "Will you please help me, Seita? It's so big I can't get rid of it on my own!"

"Sure thing!" I took my sister's other arm and both Yuki and I lifted her up and headed for the front door. "Come on, little squirrel! Let's put you back where you belong!"

"No! No!" Setsuko cried out. "Stop it! I'm not a squirrel! I'm Setsuko! Let go of me!"

At my sister's cries, we immediately put her down. After a few seconds of silence, Yuki and I burst out laughing. Setsuko just watched us for a while with a sad look. But when she realized we had only been teasing, she joined in the laughing. It didn't last long though, because I had a few questions to ask my little sister.

"And why aren't you in bed, young lady?" I asked in a more stern tone.

"Because I'm not tired!" Setsuko replied boldly. "Obaa-chan went to sleep, but I just pretended to be asleep and got up without telling her. Plus I wanted to see you and Yuki kiss!"

Yuki and I looked at each other, smiled, and looked back at Setsuko. "Sorry, little sister," I said as I ruffled her hair. "But you're not gonna be seeing anything of the sort."

"So how did everything go?" My sister asked as she changes the subject. It seems she was willing to do anything if it meant staying up longer. "Whatcha do after Obaa-chan and I left?"

"Look, Setsuko, we'll talk in the morning. For now let's get some sleep."

"I bet you and Yuki were kissing weren't you? Is that what you did the whole time?"

"No!" I protested. I instantly realised that I may have said the wrong thing, and looked at Yuki with a nervous smile. Thankfully, she wasn't offended, and chuckled a little.

"Well, if you weren't kissing, what did you do?"

"We talked, and... laughed and... caught fireflies..."

"You caught fireflies?" Setsuko beamed. "Were there lots?"

"There were millions of them, Setsuko!" Yuki breathed dreamily. "It was so beautiful...!"

"I wanna catch fireflies too! Can we? Please, Nii-chan? Please...?"

I sighed. Setsuko really wasn't kidding when she said she wasn't tired. My annoyance seemed to be amusing to Yuki, for she was trying to hide her laughter. And then she gave me the kind of smile that was basically telling me, "Please let her, Seita." By now it was obvious that I was outnumbered in opinion. I just gave up and gave in to my sister.

"Alright, Setsuko... I guess it couldn't hurt for you to stay up a little longer..."

"Yay! Thank-you, Nii-chan!"

"Yes, Seita, thank-you!" Yuki added. "Come on. Setsuko! I'll show you the places where you can find the most fireflies."

Once again, I was walking down the moonlit gravel path. But this time, I had not only Yuki with me, but my little sister as well. Although I had protested Setsuko's suggestion of catching fireflies earlier, I now felt that it wasn't so bad. After all, I was having a good time with the two people I cared about most. As Setsuko ran excitedly in front of us, Yuki turned to me and smiled. I smiled back and took hold of her hand. When we finally got to that field of fireflies, Setsuko's smile was just as bright as they were.

"Wow!" My sister exclaimed. "There's so many of them! They're like little tiny stars!"

Just as she had done many years ago, Setsuko began to run all over the place, happily giggling and dancing among the fireflies. I knew that my sister loved the fireflies very much, and that watching and catching them was one of her most favourite things to do. Perhaps she would go on loving them for the rest of her life, and if she ever did become a famous artist, maybe her best known works would depict the beauty of the living stars. That was what I hoped for, and then I'd finally be able to call out to the world and say, "That's my baby sister...!"

Setsuko, meanwhile, was chasing a firefly that was just out of her reach. Eventually, she leaped up into the air - much like I had earlier - but unfortunately the firefly flew up even higher, so that not even I could reach it.

"Oh, you were so close, Setsuko!" Yuki exclaimed. "I'll come and join you in just a second, okay?" Still all smiles, Yuki turned to me. "Isn't it nice seeing her so happy?" When I nodded in response - and when Setsuko wasn't looking - she grabbed me by the shirt collar and quickly kissed me on the lips. I don't know what shocked me most, the actual kiss or the fact that she had grabbed my shirt collar so quickly, as it didn't seem like something she'd normally do. Either way, it proved that Yuki had the power to immobilize me. In my opinion, it was the scariest thing in the world, but still nice.

While I was busy getting over that little shock, Yuki went over to Setsuko and joined her in catching the fireflies. Seeing the two of them so happy made me smile warmly. The three of us had been through so much in the past few years. A few years ago, I never would have guessed all the things that would happen to me, like losing my home and parents, living in a bomb shelter with Setsuko, and meeting Yuki and Obaa-chan. My life had changed drastically, but even so, I couldn't imagine how it would have been like otherwise.

I chuckled when I remembered how I had first met Yuki. Back then she had been a scared young girl curled up in front of the shelter after that air raid had destroyed her home. The first thing I had said to her was, "Hey, you. What do you think you're doing here?" It was definitely not love at first sight. Sure, after Setsuko and I had gotten to know her a little, I knew she was going to be a lifelong friend. But I never would have guessed that I'd eventually fall for her - or her for me for that matter. According to that fortuneteller, my last words were going to be "Sweet dreams, my darling..." I hoped Yuki was going to be that "darling."

"Nii-chan!" Setsuko's yell snapped me out of my thoughts. "Aren't you going to catch fireflies too? Come on, it's really fun!"

"Okay, I'm coming!"

For ten minutes, we all had fun amongst the glowing insects my sister had compared to stars. It was pure joy, being with the two most important people in my life in such a magical environment. It was almost as magical as the hill on which my mother's ashes were buried. I made a point to Yuki and Setsuko that we should go visit it sometime in the week. We would clean it up, decorate it with flowers, make a new marker and make it look prettier than ever. My little sister liked the idea very much.

"Mommy will be so happy...!" Setsuko said, trying to hold back a yawn. "It will be the prettiest grave in the whole wide world..."

"Hmm..." I chuckled a little and turned to Yuki. "Is it just me, or is she getting tired?"

"I'm not tired at all..." Setsuko yawned. "Stay up some more...?"

"Oh, no, I think we should be heading home. You've already been up too late!"

"No..." Despite her protests, Setsuko looked as if she'd fall asleep standing up. Yuki and I looked at each other and chuckled. And then I heard a third voice softly laughing, and I like to believe it was my mother's spirit accompanying us. Eventually, Setsuko admitted she was sleepy. "Okay, guys... We'll go home now." She looked up at me. "Nii-chan...?"

"Yes, Setsuko?"

"Can you carry me piggyback like when I was a little kid?"

I chuckled again, because in my opinion, she still was a little kid. I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to lift her up like I used to, but hey, we didn't have too far to go. I kneeled down. "Okay, Setsuko. Get on." My little sister climbed onto my back and I slowly stood up again. She was a little heavy, but I'd be able to manage.

Setsuko fell asleep on the way home, lulled by the chirping crickets. Yuki smiled warmly at the sleeping girl on my back, then looked at me. "Doesn't she look like an angel, Seita?"

"I don't know." I smiled back. "I can't see her from here, but I'll take your word for it."

Yuki held out her hand and I took it, squeezing it lightly. "You love your sister very much, don't you?" She asked gently. "To you, she's the most precious thing on this earth..."

"You're right, Yuki, but she's not the only one..." I gave her an affectionate smile. "You're important to me too..." I thought a minute before speaking again. "You both mean the world to me. Setsuko... She's such a great kid. I couldn't ask for a better sister. And you, Yuki, well... We've been through so much together, that I can't imagine my life without you."

"I know... I can't either..."

For the millionth time that night, we looked at each other affectionately. Then we stared down the road that would take us home. Yes, we had all been through a lot together, and we'd probably stay together throughout our lives. And as we headed home that night together, it felt like heaven. Here we were, Yuki, Setsuko and I, walking down that calm moonlit path to the rhythm of the chirping crickets, guided by the light of the fireflies.

**THE END**

* * *

**Yes, people, it's finally over! And I thank you readers who have been so kind as to read this far. I hope you somewhat liked this fic, and if you did, you'll definitely like the final (yes, final) sequel, because it is soo much better, both in plot and in writing, and hopefully all this reading will not have been for nothing. There might be one or two things on the downside though... for one thing, it is even more AU than the others, since it takes place years after the ending of this one. For another thing... Setsuko will be all grown up... That cute little kid won't be so little anymore...**

**Well, I'll put up a good summary for the sequel here.**

_**The year is 1964, and Yokokawa Seita is a full grown man with a decent job as a steelworker. He is married to Yuki, who works hard to be a good housewife and mother, taking care of her fairly average and happy family of five. They have a son who at first appears to be lazy and inattentive, but when need be, he becomes diligent in order to win his father's approval. They also have an enthusiastic young daughter who has a close bond with her father, and is always eager to learn more about the world around her. Seita and Yuki, like most parents, try to raise their children as best they can, but they also have their moments when what they do is not always in the right...**_

_**Meanwhile, Setsuko has grown into a lovely, artistic, and, much to her brother's dismay, a "modern" young woman. While Seita plans to find a suitable husband for his sister, Setsuko has plans on pursuing a career as an elementary school art teacher. But, as how many things are in life, not everything goes according to plan for either of them...**_

_**And then tragedy strikes. **_

_**Every member of the family is faced with their own challenges to overcome. The children have to come to terms with what is happening, and as a result, they have to grow up a little faster. Setsuko struggles to help and support her family while having to face choosing between love, career or family. For Yuki and Seita, painful memories from a time they wish to forget come to the surface again, and both learn that history can, and will, repeat itself in some way or another. But nevertheless, the family is lucky - they have a few friends who are willing to help them through their hardships. But even so, are they lucky enough to have the strength needed to overcome them...?**_


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